Reconnecting With Family
by Darien Fawkes
Summary: With Galvanax finally defeated, the team are finally getting some time reconnecting with family and friends. With the Romeros making up for lost time with Dane back from the dead and the others attending a Royal Wedding, all is well. Long may it last... ...yeah right, when does THAT ever happen for Rangers?
1. Chapter 1

**Legal:** I do not own Power Rangers or the associated names, places, characters, events etc. Anything not covered by the above rights should be considered purely the creation of the author.

 **Rating:** T – may be some mild adult themes, including language and violence.

 **A/N:** As promised, the beginning of a new phase in the series. With Galvanax gone, and unaware that Odious has survived, the team has some time to themselves. With that time, it's time to catch up with some family and friends.

Dawn broke, and the sound of a cockerel echoed through the area. It was the usual alarm call for most of the people in this neck of the woods, and while normally the average 18 year old would object to being wakened at the crack of dawn on a school holiday, Brody couldn't help but smile.

It was very different waking up in the Romero farm than in the Ranger Base. He and Mick had lived there almost exclusively since he had escaped from Galvanax's ship. While he had always dreamed of coming back to the farm, it just seemed so large, so empty without his family that he couldn't bring himself to live there on his own. He had only lived there briefly when he believed his brother had returned to him, only to leave again when shortly afterwards he discovered it was a robotic imposter designed to fool him. Now though, it was a very different story. He didn't even mind the fact that his old room had a slightly stale, musty smell or that his bed was technically too small for him having never been replaced since he was eight years old. Now, it felt like home.

He got out of bed, and could already hear movement in the rest of the house, something he almost believed he'd never hear again. It was coming from the yard, and looking out, he saw his dad standing by a barbecue.

The farm had long been neglected, having been uninhabited for about ten years. While the realtors had tried to sell it, the fact that a whole family had just disappeared without a trace led to superstition setting in. The locals, who would have more than happily welcomed the opportunity to expand their own farms with more land were reluctant to touch the "cursed" farm, and it had sat so long without anyone being there that even outside developers were reluctant since it would now likely cost so much to return it to a working farm that it would be years before it would even break even. Of course, the Romeros were no farmers and so this was no concern of theirs. What it did mean however was they had a lot of work to return their home to its former glory and that meant in the meantime they had to make do with a few things, like the fact the appliances all needed to be replaced which was why Dane was outside cooking the breakfast.

Brody was so eager to get out and get started he didn't bother with a shower. He just quickly got dressed, heading out into the yard where his dad was humming contentedly as he made up the breakfast.

"What time is this to be getting up?" Dane teased his son. Brody knew that it was early, but his dad always did believe in getting up early and making the most of the day. Whether it was training or working, he always liked to get an early start to make the most of the day.

"Hey, at least I'm here." Brody answered, in reference to his brother. Levi was older than Brody, and had his own life. While Brody was now 18 and would likely be looking at his future options come the end of High School, Levi had become an adult some time ago. He had a career, he had his own home closer to the city and he even had his commitments. His record company was very understanding about his request to go on a hiatus to "work on his music" and were even surprisingly alright with his announcement that he was becoming a High School Music Teacher in the meantime, something he explained helped stoke his love of music by helping the stars of the future, that didn't mean he didn't still have to keep in touch with them and assure them that he was indeed coming back at some point. A lot of people had a lot of time, effort and money invested in the Levi Weston brand and needless to say they wanted to be sure that their faith and belief in that brand wasn't being thrown away.

There was also the factor that Levi just had his own life now. Even the name was an indication. He was still always going to be Brody's brother and now Dane was back, his son, but he had spent longer as Levi Weston than he had as Aiden Romero. He had been taken in by another family, the Westons and it wasn't as though he had just used them to help raise him. He had another brother now, Tom. Brody and Dane had made it clear that they were only too happy to integrate the family and treat it as one, but it did mean that Aiden wasn't going to be living at the farm. He had his own penthouse, and he was more than happy with that, even if he had agreed to come to the farm to help them rebuild.

"Actually he's already called, he and Tom are just stopping by the hardware store and then they're heading over." Dane told him, piling some sausage, bacon and eggs onto a plate. Brody just laughed and looked to it.

"So that's a healthy breakfast is it?" Brody asked.

"No, that's a HEARTY breakfast. We're going to need our strength for this rebuild." Dane told him. "Old Father Time has really not been kind to this place."

"Yeah, and Galvanax was even less kind." Brody commented, looking over to the very large pile of waste timber that used to be the workshop. They hadn't even gotten around to sifting through it to see what tools and fixtures could be salvaged before they raised its replacement. "This all smells great dad."

"Well don't get used to it, once we have the kitchen back I'll be able to make proper meals again." He told him. "Not that there's anything wrong with a treat like this once in a while."

He looked to his son as he started to eat and smiled. He had spent a long time in what could only be described as…well…he wasn't even sure how he could describe it. Limbo would not do justice to the good feeling inside wherever the Nexus Prism had taken him when the energy blast had injured him. It was warmth, contentment, peace…it was like he would never need anything again, a kind of peace that was so consuming that being back in the real world almost felt like a descent into an abyss. Of course seeing his son again, it made that seem more than worth it. He wasn't a religious man, but if he was going to leave 'Heaven' and return to Earth, then his sons would be what meant he wouldn't miss that contentment.

"I really appreciate you staying you know." Dane told him. "I mean, I would have understood if you had wanted to go with your friends."

"Dad it's…"

"I mean, it's not every day someone gets invited to a Royal Wedding." Dane chuckled. "I can't believe one of your predacessors is an actual Prince. God, I had never even heard of Zandar before his limo showed up!"

"Dad, seriously it's fine." Brody assured him. "Yeah, it'd be cool seeing another nation and going to a wedding, but ten years is long enough."

He put a hand on his dad's shoulder and looked to his eyes.

"There is literally nowhere I'd rather be right now."

"I'll try to remind you that you said that in a few hours." Dane chuckled. Just then, another truck rolled up and Levi got out. Brody remembered Tom, having met him some time ago. While their relationship had been…well…a little difficult at first. Mainly because neither of them really knew where they stood with each other having equal claim to being Levi's brother. The fact that a misunderstanding had led to Tom accusing Brody of plagiaraism for singing a song from his own album, a song which turned out to be Dane's song, didn't help that. However, a period of time in a hospital ward together had given them some time to make a relationship of their own. Dane came across, hugging Levi.

"Aid…um…Levi, it's good to see you!" Dane greeted him, before looking to Tom. "I'm guessing you're Tom?"

"Tom Weston." Tom introduced himself, extending a hand to him. Dane looked to it for a moment, before taking it, but also kind of going in for a one-armed hug for a half-handshake half-hug gesture. He had only just met the man so he wasn't terribly comfortable with him, but given his importance in Levi's life, a handshake just didn't feel anything like enough.

"You looked after my boy when I couldn't. I owe you more than I will ever be able to repay." Dane told him.

"Hey, it was a pleasure. Your son is a good man." Tom said with a bright grin. "A complete pain in my ass at times, but as far as little brothers go, I could have done a lot worse."

"Oh, it's like that is it?" Levi laughed.

"Seriously though, you took care of Aid…um…Levi." Dane reiterated. "Sorry, I'm still getting used to that. Anyway, if there's anything you need, anything at all, you only have to ask. You're his family, and that makes you mine too."

"Same." Brody added. Tom just pulled off his Stetson.

"Well, if it's all the same to you, some of that would be a good start." Tom said, pointing to the pan. "Dad always made us work the farm and I know how tough yard work is. It's time for some serious fuel!"

"It smells great dad." Levi chipped in, grabbing a plate.

"Well, dig in." Dane told them. "We've got a lot of work ahead of us."

With that, they all sat around, loading up their plates and beginning to eat, eagerly awaiting the day ahead.

Meanwhile, some distance away in the skies over Europe, the rest of the team were having a significantly different experience. They all had varied experiences of travel. Sarah had moved around a lot as a kid but had never really left California. Preston's dad had business dealings all over the world and he had taken Preston on a good number of those trips, meaning he was easily the most well-travelled of the group. Calvin and Hayley were more in the middle, haven taken trips out of the state, but not really leaving the country much. However, none of them had travelled like this!

They already knew they were in for a treat when Phillipe had said they were going on a private plane, however it wasn't long after they arrived at the airport they realised his idea of a private plane and theirs was significantly different. Most of them had ideas of a small plane, pretty high-end yes, ornately decorated as befitted his position as a Prince definitely but when they arrived, what they got was more like the size of a passenger plane, and it was all just for them!

The inside was like a hotel, carpeted with a luxurious red carpet and panelled with wood, with big plush chairs for them all. Preston was handed a lemonade by one of the attendants.

"Merci beaucoup." He greeted her. She smiled politely, but rolled her eyes. Phillipe coughed.

"Preston, we do speak English as a first language in Zandar." He pointed out.

"Oh, right." Preston said, realising his mistake. He looked around the jet. "Well, no offence to the Dragon Zord, but all things considered I think I prefer this method of flying."

"It certainly does have its perks." Phillipe agreed. Sarah was positively giddy as she looked out the window. It wasn't just the thought of going to see another nation she was excited by, but she knew that soon she would be reunited with friends that she hadn't seen in quite some time.

"So are all the others there already?" Sarah asked. "Will they be meeting us at the airport?"

"I'm afraid not, but you'll see them soon." Phillipe assured her. "Tyler and his father arrived about a week ago to take the opportunity to conquer some of our mountain ranges. Chase, Allison, Ivan, Riley, Matt and Kendall will likely already be at the castle. Koda and Alessandra were at a show in Japan so they should be arriving tomorrow."

"Wait, did you say castle?" Calvin asked him. "You actually live in a real life castle?"

"Yes, my father is something of a traditionalist." Phillipe said with a smile. "Margaret of course will meet us there."

"I can't wait to see everyone again!" Sarah said excitedly.

"The feeling is more than mutual." Phillipe told the team. "It is a shame that Brody and Levi couldn't join us, but I'm glad that you were all able to come on such short notice."

"Are you kidding? My parents totally flipped when I turned up on the doorstep in your limo!" Calvin said excitedly. "They were expecting me to spend the holidays on the couch eating junk food, but going to another nation? They were stoked!"

"All I had to say was the words 'Prince of Zandar' and my dad was all for it." Preston added. "I don't think he could believe it when he saw you!"

"Yes, well he did seem eager to set up a meeting to discuss some business." Phillipe replied. "Though he was respectful enough to wait for me to have my honeymoon first."

"It actually works out pretty well for me." Hayley informed them. "Technically it's my dad's turn to have me, but he doesn't get back from his expedition in the Caribbean for another couple of weeks so I was at a bit of a loose end to be honest."

"You couldn't have kept me away!" Sarah rushed out. "I have like so much to tell everyone!"

"Well the guest list is quite extensive, I've since been introduced to more than a few of our brothers and sisters in Spandex." Phillipe told them. "I've met some of the most powerful and influential people in the world, and yet nothing makes me as nervous as the thought that just a couple of days from now I'm getting married."

"So this is a pretty big deal in your country isn't it?" Calvin asked.

"Indeed, there are a number of festivities planned to ensure the whole nation gets to be a part of it." Phillipe told them. "There's a military parade, there's a fete going on right now, there's going to be a formal ceremony at the castle, and I've even managed to arrange a special treat for my father, Koda is bringing Carl and some of his friends to put on a show."

"Carl?" Sarah asked. "There's going to be a wrestling show before your wedding?"

"My father is quite a fan of Koda's old mentor, 'The Deer Hunter' Jack Malone." Phillipe said with a smile. "I managed to coax him out of retirement for a special exhibition bout."

"Jack's coming out of retirement?" Sarah asked.

"Just for one night." Phillipe told her. "It turns out that other than the Garden, one of the few venues he's never wrestled in is a castle, and so I managed to convince him. My father is absolutely thrilled!"

"I thought your dad was an isolationist." Hayley commented. Sarah gave her a hard glare. It was no secret that Zandar had a very isolationist policy for a long time. Phillipe was the first ambassador to a foreign nation and was looking to change that image. He just laughed.

"Well, yes, he is, but he does enjoy his foreign entertainment and I am hoping his views on foreign policy are starting to soften." He assured them. "He has his guilty pleasures like anyone else."

"It'll be so great to see everyone again." Sarah reiterated. "I can't wait to tell them all the amazing stories we have! I know we all worked together but man it'll be so cool having some stories to tell as an actual Ranger!"

"And I am sure they will be eager to hear them. Kendall for one was most vocal about how nervous she was hearing you had become a Ranger." Phillipe stated. "Though…she may have phrased it a little more colourfully than I did."

"Hey guys, we're starting to descend." Calvin said. A moment later the seatbelt lights went on. The attendants all headed off to get themselves prepared for landing.

"Ah, this is the good part." Phillipe said with pride. "As much as I love my job and your country, there's always something about the feeling of going home."

The plane came down, breaking through the clouds. As it did so, the Rangers heard something hitting the windows. Looking to them, the windows were quickly running with water.

"What the hell?" Hayley called out.

"That doesn't look good!" Sarah agreed. Phillipe just chuckled with amusement. "It's a storm!"

"I assure you, this is nothing." Phillipe laughed. "This is nothing, pilots land in weather much worse than this all the time."

"It gets WORSE than this?" Calvin asked. The plane juddered a little in the winds.

"Oh, this just adds to the fun." He said as they came down. The team all watched out the windows as they descended past the mountains towards the ground. The Principality of Zandar was a beautiful place, full of woods and forests, but they were all so concerned about the weather they didn't get much of a chance to appreciate it. As the plane started to slow for touchdown, they all sat in their seats with trepidation. The wheels touched down and the plane started to slow up, coming to a halt. All except Phillipe breathed a sigh of relief as the plane started to taxi to a hangar.

"That was terrifying!" Preston commented. Phillipe just shrugged.

"Personally I found your climate a little difficult to get used to at first." He replied as he went to the door, opening it up. He bounded down enthusiastically, followed by the others as he took in a big, deep breath of his homeland. A motorcade was already waiting for him.

"My friends, welcome to Zandar!" He declared. He turned around, finding them all shivering, rubbing their arms and chattering.

"What…happened…to…the…sun?" Calvin chattered. Phillipe just chuckled.

"Come on, there's heating in the car." He assured them.


	2. Welcome To Zandar

On the Romero Farm, the work was hard, but going really quite well all things considered. The Romeros weren't really farm people, Dane had only bought the farm because it was off-the-grid. That said, there was always some kind of maintenance to do at the Wind Ninja Academy, and the staff and students, especially those that lived on the premises, were expected to take an active role in the upkeep, and so Dane was more than equipped to deal with the upkeep of the old farmhouse when he got there. He was almost as skilled with metalwork and woodwork as he was in the art of ninjutsu, and given the fact he was at one time considered a prospect for taking over not just as the sensei of the Air students, but the entire Wind Ninja Academy that was saying something.

He was outside, measuring up some cabinets. The project was a big one, a lot bigger than it really should be, but considering no one had actually lived on the farm for ten years the maintenance was looking almost more like a case of tearing it down and starting over than building it back up again. Galvanax had already seen to the workshop, or more accurately Galvanax's body had when he was blasted through it by the Nexus Prism, and so they were having to rebuild that from the ground up anyway, but the house was still standing and if they didn't have to start again, they were eager to find out what could and could not be kept. While sections of the house needed to be repaired and some of the worse affected areas perhaps rebuilt and replaced, the actual structure had held up pretty well. Of course, the house had also not been decorated since Levi and Brody were children. Aiden had been almost twelve and Brody was eight when Galvanax attacked. Levi had already made it clear he was staying in his own apartment, but Brody would likely be in the house at least another couple of years and so he was eager to make it fit for a young adult. The bunk beds may have been fine for a couple of young kids, but now Brody would need a desk, a good bed, perhaps a good size chest of drawers.

He was overjoyed to see his boys working on the farm again. A long time had passed, and he knew it was never going to be like it was in the old days. Even Brody would no doubt move on in a few years' time. Even if he decided to go to college within commuting distance of the farm the day would come, he would be looking to make his own life and his own home. There was no guarantee that life would be in Summer Cove, but he fully intended to enjoy the time he had his son at home as long as he could.

Tom, it was still pretty early to tell how he felt about Tom. He had always hoped, dreamed of getting back to his two boys, and yet when he came back, there was a third guy in the mix. His sons appeared to like him. Aiden…Levi, he was still having a little trouble with that, referred to Tom as his brother. It was hard to argue with that, he had been raised with him, raised alongside him, with Tom looking out for him as an older brother. Given that Aiden…Levi, had been Brody's older brother he imagined it was a nice change to be taken care of. He almost wished he could meet Tom's father, the man who had it in his heart to take in a child he didn't know and raise him as his own, though he had ascertained from the little time he spent with Tom that The General had passed on a few years ago. Tom had taken up the position he always had, taking care not only of Ai…Levi, but also overseeing his career and dealing with the executives on his behalf. Brody, he got the impression from what he had said that their early days had been a little rocky, but they had since managed to find some common ground. Mainly it was Levi that brought them together, but Brody had also discovered a shared love of football with Tom while they were staying in hospital. Brody was even talking about trying out for the team when school went back. Dane honestly didn't know where Brody got that from, neither he nor his mother really cared much for the game, but he was happy enough. Kids often formed interests their parents didn't really get after all.

"Hey dad!" Levi called out. Dane couldn't help smiling hearing that. For all the harmony and contentment, he felt within the nexus, the one thing he didn't have was hearing his sons calling him dad. "We've finished salvaging all the lumber we can, but there's nowhere near enough good wood here for the repairs we need."

"I figured that would be the case." Dane answered. "Wow, is that really all? That's…that's way less than even I thought."

"You know, ten years not being painted or treated, the weather does its thing." Tom chipped in. "Most of this will be used in repairs on the house. The trees sheltered it pretty well, but there's still some rotten wood that's going to need to be pulled out. The only good news is you don't seem to have termites."

"Ten years and we didn't get termites?" Brody asked.

"Is that a bad thing?" Levi asked in response.

"No, just think it's odd. Kind of like how there's no birds calling or other animals around here." Brody commented. "There's kind of a vibe around this place, like Galvanax's spirit somehow kept things away."

"Well, at least one good thing came out of that." Tom said with a shrug.

"I suppose it's up to us to replace that spirit." Dane told them. "But for now, someone needs to take a little trip to the hardware store. Who wants to come with?"

"I will!" Brody called out, sprinting over. "I'd love to see how the old town's changed! I didn't get time to check it out before."

"Anyone else?" Dane asked.

"It's fine, we'll just take a short break and then get back to it." Levi said to him, taking a seat on a tree stump and pulling a book out of his bag. It looked a little familiar, Dane furrowed his brow.

"That book, what is that?" He asked. Levi just looked to it and then back to him.

"Oh, this?" He responded, gesturing to the book. "I got this at the Wind Ninja Academy. It belonged to her predecessor…"

"Mariko." Dane concluded.

"Yeah, it was her journal." Levi confirmed. "Tori gave it to me, she thought some of the stuff in it might trigger some memories."

"Right, of course." Dane said. "Um…how much of it have you read?"

"Dad, we need to get going!" Brody called out, honking the horn. Dane looked between the truck and Levi for a second.

"I haven't had much chance to read it at all." Levi admitted. "Galvanax kept us kind of busy."

"Dad!" Brody called out again, honking the horn. "I want to see if that candy store is still there!"

"Yeah, just coming!" Dane told him, turning and heading to the truck. Levi was about to start reading when Tom arrived by his side, handing him a bottle of water.

"So, I was thinking, most of the house is pretty stable." He commented. "If we set up a dehumidifier or two in there and get them running to the max for a while, we might be able to deal with the worst of the damp and rot without having to pull much wood."

"Yeah, that sounds good." Levi answered, putting the journal back in his bag. "Once the house is ready, we'll have somewhere we can put Redbot back together without freaking out the locals."

Meanwhile, over in Zandar, a couple of figures were nearing the peak of one of the highest mountains in the area. Zandar was blessed with a lot of natural beauty, and although they were there for a wedding, Tyler and his father were making ample opportunity of their time there to explore and challenge themselves in the environment.

Tyler had always loved climbing, even before his father went missing. It was something they had always shared, but now that he was back, they were making up for lost time.

James Nevarro, as he was now known, had decided to stay out of the public eye, to let his former life as Dr Neil Nevarro, the man who was thought of in the field in equal measure as either a genius or a lunatic depending on who one asked based on his wild theories that the dinosaurs were not killed by a natural event but by a directed attack from an extra-terrestrial source, remain at an end. It was going to be difficult to come back anyway after ten years of being "dead". There were numerous people who wouldn't exactly be happy to see him back, not to mention he'd have to explain where he had been. His life would never be his own, and so he had instead decided to content himself just being back in his son's life. Since the museum knew the truth about him, they were happy enough to give him a job that let him stay close to his son and the field he loved. He often joked he was now the most ridiculously over-qualified and over-paid janitor in history! James though didn't care. He was back with Tyler and that was what mattered.

"OK, this next overhang looks tricky." Tyler told him, securing a piton to the rock face and hooking his safety line. "I think of we try edging up that way, then we can use this crack here to…"

With a huge, whooping yell, James ran past his son, leaping into the unknown. His Aqua Energem started to glow and he soared almost twenty feet upwards, and thirty feet out. He caught onto an outcrop with one hand, dangling hundreds of feet above the ground. Tyler just started laughing.

"You know, I think technically that's cheating!" Tyler said, wagging a finger disapprovingly at his dad.

"Oh, come on, I didn't use it to get anywhere I couldn't have gotten to eventually." James said, continuing to dangle from one hand. "Darn it, I'm out of pitons. Little help?"

Tyler pulled one out and threw it to his dad. James caught it and put it in his teeth. Grabbing on with his other hand, he swung a little from the outcrop to get some momentum, before launching himself up a little, climbing up a little further. Once he got to a location, he could secure his legs, he hammered in the piton and attached a rope.

"I still say it's cheating." Tyler chuckled.

"And I say it's appreciating the fact we have a deadline, you know how Shelby gets when you're late." James stated. "Now, if you just use the rope…"

Tyler leapt up, catching onto the outcrop. James just looked down to him, seeing his Energem glowing and wagged a finger.

"I thought that was cheating." He commented.

"Yeah, I'm more scared of Shelby than I am of my ego at not doing this properly." Tyler said with a grin. "Besides, it gives us an excuse to come back and do this again properly someday."

"So, there's only about another fifty feet to go." James said with a smile. "Want to do this?"

Both of their Energems started to glow, and both of them started to scramble up, far faster than should have been humanly possible. They got to the top, steadying themselves and catching their breath. They looked down over Zandar, taking pride in being among the very few who ever got to see this view. Tyler pulled out his camera and snapped a few shots.

"It's a pretty amazing place isn't it?" James asked. "I can see why Phillipe and Margaret are so proud of it."

"It's pretty wild alright." Tyler answered. The alarm on his phone started bleeping. "Well, Shelby's expecting us back soon. Want to do this?"

"Oh, you know it!" James replied. "Just try not to land in someone's back yard this time!"

With that, they both ran, leaping off the top of the cliff. They pulled the rip chords on their parachutes, drifting down over the forests, and towards the city.

Meanwhile, the Ninja team were in Phillipe's limo, their faces pressed to the windows as it brought them towards the castle. Now they were in a heated limousine, they could finally appreciate Zandar for the beautiful place it was. Like much of Europe, it had a marvellous blend of the modern and ancient within the country, simultaneously celebrating the cultural heritage of what it had been, while at the same time looking to the future. At this time of year, like much of Europe, the streets were awash with markets, where traders and street performers from all over the world were lining the streets. Stands selling brockwurst were flanked by stands selling steaming hot paella and Polish goulash and breads. People seeing the motorcade coming would part ways, but wave and cheer for him as they went. They passed by monuments that were built to commemorate great figures of their past. The people walking around were a lot better prepared for the climate than the Rangers, most of whom had never really left California were, but with the exception of some thick coats, they just seemed to go about their business without any real mind.

"This place is amazing!" Calvin gasped, looking out the window. "Hey, check it out, this street isn't even asphalt, it's cobblestones!"

"Yes, the thoroughfare to the main entrance to the family estate is preserved by a conservation order." Phillipe told them. "With the exception of a few repairs, many of those stones are the same ones that were laid almost a thousand years ago."

"The people seem to really love you here." Hayley commented. Phillipe just laughed as he saw them waving and cheering for him.

"Yes, the people of this great land are very definitely traditionally minded." He agreed, waving back. "It's one of the reasons I work so hard to try and expand my skills and standing on the international stage. I may have been born into this role, but that doesn't mean I don't want to feel like I've earned the faith my people have in me."

"Oh my gosh, look at that!" Preston squealed, pointing forward as he saw them coming up on the castle. "This is like something from dungeons and dragons!"

"Well, there may not be any dragons…other than the Dragon of Zandar in my father's throne room, but we definitely have dungeons." Phillipe stated, causing them all to stare at him. "Don't worry though, we haven't actually used them in centuries."

"Dragon of Zandar?" Calvin asked, glossing over the dungeon part of the conversation. "You have a dragon?"

"Well, that's just what it's called." Phillipe chuckled. "It is in fact a Pterodactyl skeleton. The most complete ever excavated I believe."

"Pterodactyls are notoriously difficult to find complete." Sarah chipped in. "Like modern day birds their bones were hollow which means they didn't last as well as others. They were more prone to breaking and crumbling so a lot of skeletons were only partially preserved."

The rest of the team just stared at her. She just sighed.

"I used to work in a Natural History Museum, remember?" She pointed out. "It's kind of hard to spend all that time there and some of that stuff not stick."

"Guys, check it out!" Calvin said excitedly. As they approached, the drawbridge started to open, allowing them access. The motorcade drove in over the drawbridge, which crossed the moat, and through a long gate house which was long enough to fit all three vehicles with room to spare. There was a spiked portcullis at either end, though the CCTV cameras let them know that the castle also employed some extremely advanced security as well. By the time they passed through and the drawbridge closed, the motorcade circled around, coming to a rest. The door was opened by a guard, allowing Phillipe and the others out.

"Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to my humble home." Phillipe said rather ironically. Preston could only imagine how much his father would only wish he could build something like this in his home country. "My staff are just taking your bags to your rooms. I'll have you directed there soon, but for now I think…"

"SARAH!" Someone screamed out loud. They all turned in time to see a couple of women running towards them. The first one by their side was a girl in pink denim shorts and a flannel shirt. She grabbed Sarah, hugging her tightly as more arrived. Shelby looked to her, inspecting her enthusiastically. "Oh man, it is so great to see you! You look great!"

"You do too Shelby. How was Zaire?" Sarah asked.

"Hot." Shelby stated. "But it was so great! We got some amazing samples, and I got to meet the most amazing teams and professors…I even managed to get a paper published and…"

"Shelby, you'll have plenty of time to talk about our adventures." Kendall reminded her.

"Yeah, listen to me, what about YOUR adventures?" Shelby asked. "I turn my back on you for five minutes and you end up becoming a Power Ranger? What's up with that?"

"It wasn't exactly planned." Sarah laughed. "But then when is it?"

"Ain't that the truth." Shelby agreed. "So, come on, introductions please."

"Well, unfortunately Brody and Levi couldn't make it, but this is Calvin, our Yellow Ranger, Hayley our White Ranger, and Preston our Blue Ranger." Sarah introduced them. "Guys, this is Shelby, the Pink Ranger and this is Dr Morg…"

"She paused as she saw Kendall giving her a little look.

"Right, only in the museum. Kendall…yeah, it still feels a little strange to call you that." Sarah conceded. "So where are the others?"

"Ivan's off exploring somewhere." Kendall told them. "He was glad to see his homeland again, but it's kind of changed in the last 800 years. The others are waiting for us inside."

"Well, most of them are!" Shelby said impatiently, checking her phone. "Tyler and James said they'd be back by now!"

"Heads UP!" They heard someone calling out from above. They all looked up in time to see two men drifting down into the courtyard on parachutes. The guards on the walls did not look at all happy, but the fact no one was going for weapons indicated they had seen this before. The two men landed just in front of the ninja team.

"OK, we've made a lot of use of flash powder and smoke bombs and even I can admit that entrance was kind of awesome!" Calvin commented. Sarah rushed the two men, hugging them. Shelby just stood, glaring at them both.

"And what time do you call this?" She asked them.

"Come on, we're not THAT late." Tyler stated.

"Tyler, it's great to see you both!" Sarah greeted him. "Guys, this is Tyler, the Dino Charge Red Ranger and James, the Aqua Ranger!"

"Hey, it's awesome to meet you guys!" Tyler stated. "So why don't we go inside and…"

Phillipe just cleared his throat and pointed to the parachutes.

"Oh…well, we'll pack these up and join you inside with the others." James answered. "It really was great to see you again Sarah. We'll catch up inside."

As the Ninja Rangers started to head inside, Preston put his arm around Sarah and pulled in close.

"Aqua?" He asked. "How many Rangers did your last team have?"

"Ten." Sarah told him.

"Wow, and I thought OUR Command Centre could get crowded." Preston commented as they followed Shelby, Phillipe and Shelby inside, leaving Tyler and James to pack up their parachutes.


	3. The Old Home Town

The drive to the town of Millport was pretty quiet all things considered. Dane was thankful that Brody seemed more interested in the surroundings than talking, because he was a little deep in thought as they drove.

He loved having his boys back in his life. His time in the Nexus Prism was something he couldn't describe. In a lot of ways, being ripped from it, coming back to Earth was like being ripped from paradise and dumped in a wasteland. It wasn't like everything was provided for him. There was no sandy beach, no eternal buffet, no cinema showing all his favourite old movies, it wasn't even like he could remember any kind of physical feeling at all. He wasn't even sure he had a body; it was just more a feeling of contentment. Dane had never been a religious man, but with one exception, the fact he did not have his wife and his sons with him, he would have easily been convinced this was the concept of "Heaven" he had heard so many people talk about.

Coming back to Earth did bring with it a lot of negative feelings he just didn't get. Now, things could feel cold. Things could feel painful; he could feel regret and remorse. Having been in the peaceful limbo of the Nexus Prism, coming back to Earth would have seemed almost like a punishment if it wasn't for the fact he got to see his sons again. It caused him pangs of regret that they were now grown. That he had missed out on their childhoods. He hadn't seen them grow up and become who they were today. That said, having his sons back made this preferable to where he had been.

He was troubled by the thought of the diary. There was a time that he had loved the Wind Ninja Academy as much as anything else in his life. He hadn't had much in his life before he went. He had actually been brought there as a child himself and lived most of his life there. He had grown into a man there; he had learned almost everything he knew there. He had met his wife and had his children there. He was convinced at one time he would end his days there, but something happened that changed all that.

No one really knew what happened to his wife. There was a lot of medical talk and a lot of technical terms thrown around, but when all was said and done, no one really knew why his wife, an energetic and unstoppable spirit fell ill. She just kind of weakened by the day shortly after Brody was born. Within days, she was gone. Suddenly, the Wind Ninja Academy wasn't a home for Dane anymore. The people he saw every day, the forests he used to walk with his wife, the Sensei Quarters they shared...everything was a painful reminder of what he had lost. In the end, when he saw his children were suffering as a result of his inability to function any longer when the ghost of his wife was literally in everything he saw, he decided he had to leave. For the sake of his sanity and his children, he packed up his few possessions and left Blue Bay Harbour and everyone he knew behind.

It was understandable that his sons would go there to find answers. Levi had explained his flashbacks, and how he had discerned that the Wind Ninja Academy was where his past lay. He was glad that allowed him to remember who he really was, even if he still did choose to be Levi. The diary though troubled him in a way. Mariko...she had been a dear friend, a member of the family at one time, one he hadn't seen since he had left the Academy. He hadn't honestly thought much about her since then. Now though, he couldn't help thinking about the diary, and wondering what could be inside.

"Dad, there's a space over there!" Brody told him, bringing his attention back. "DAD!"

Dane finally came back to his senses and turned in, parking up the truck. They both got out, onto the "street" which didn't even have asphalt. It was more of a trail than a road, and the sides of the street were still wooden walkways. Brody smiled broadly as he looked around.

"Wow, I honestly don't think this place has changed at all!" He said gleefully. "Hey, look, the ice-cream store is still there...I think that sign was...holy cow, they do the same sundae I that they did when I was a kid!"

"Yeah, I guess some things don't change." Dane chuckled. "Except if I bring you here another time you might order that and be able to eat more than just the cherries and the wafer biscuit!"

"Oh, I definitely could." Brody agreed as they headed for the hardware store. In here, things hadn't changed either. The town was like a time warp to a simpler time. Most of the businesses were family legacies, handed down through the generations.

As they went inside, there were a lot of people looking around, picking out the little odds and ends they needed for their businesses. Millport very much was a working town, almost an organism. Every business funnelled into each other. The farmers got their tools and parts here, and they supplied the food that kept the town running. As they approached the counter, Dane recognised the guy behind the counter. He was a little older, the middle-age spread had set in and he had lost some hair, but the owner was still the same man.

"Hello there sir!" The owner greeted him, before squinting a little. "I'm...I'm sorry, you look familiar."

"Yeah, I have one of those faces." Dane said, having to remind himself that he hadn't actually aged inside the Nexus Prism. He still looked the same as he had on the day Galvanax had attacked his farm. "I was looking for some lumber, some nails, all-weather paint..."

"How about you give me the list and my boy will look it out?" The owner stated. "Burt, get out here and earn your pay check!"

A kid, who looked about the same age as Brody, perhaps only a year or so either way came out of the back, taking the list from Dane without a word. He was wearing a black T-shirt and pale blue jeans. He looked about as enthusiastic to be in Millport as the average inmate looked to be in Rykers.

"This is a lot of stuff." The kid said rather abruptly.

"We brought a truck, its fine." Brody stated.

"This looks like a big job." Burt stated.

"Yeah, it kind of is. The old place has definitely seen better days." Brody answered.

"Just as well we're not afraid of some hard work." Dane said with a smile.

"I hadn't heard of anywhere needing a lot of work recently." Burt's father stated. "Where are you guys anyway?"

"Oh, we're about five miles up the track that way." Brody told them. There was a crash as someone dropped a bucket of nails. Every other sound instantly stopped. Brody and Dane looked around as they realised everyone was now staring at them, completely wordless.

"The...Romero place?" Burt asked.

"Yeah, that's right." Brody stated. They knew that around here the farm had a reputation. It had worked in their favour since the land had never been bought in the ten years since the attack, but clearly the people of the town were a little surprised to hear someone was on that land. A few of them started whispering.

"You know that...strange things...happened there right?" Burt's father asked. Dane just looked around.

"I ought to, it's my farm." He told them. He offered the man his hand. "Dane Romero, this is my son Brody."

"The Romeros?" Brody distinctly heard people whispering. It only started to get more pronounced. Burt's dad just coughed.

"Burt, why don't you take Brody here around the back and look out the lumber?" He asked. Burt just nodded.

"This way." He told him. Dane went to the shelves and started to look around, at which people slowly but surely started to go back to what they were doing, but always keenly aware that there were eyes on him the whole time. As a ninja, it felt unnatural to have so many people pay attention to him. He was starting to wonder how Levi managed it.

Over in Zandar, the Ninja Steel team followed Phillipe inside, where they were taking in the wonders of the palace.

"My servants are taking your luggage to your rooms; I'll have you directed there shortly." Phillipe stated. "In the meantime...ah, perfect timing!"

They all watched as a blonde woman with shoulder-length blonde hair came down the stairs. She was wearing a suit, much like the other guards and staff. She seemed to walk with a little bit of a limp, favouring her right leg. She came over to Sarah first of all, hugging her tightly.

"Margret!" Sarah shrieked. "It's great to see you! Your hair looks amazing!"

"Yeah, it's growing in pretty well." She said with a smile. Margaret had been Phillipe's main confidante, personal assistant and bodyguard at one time, having been in the Royal Household since they were both children. She had lost her leg to bone cancer and her hair to the resulting chemotherapy. Sarah had heard she had gotten the all-clear some months ago, but she hadn't actually seen Margaret since she left Amber Beach.

"And I know you were determined to walk down the aisle." Sarah commented. Margaret lifted her trouser leg, letting her see the prosthetic.

"I have to say it didn't take quite as long to get used to as I'd have thought." She answered.

"She's definitely a trooper!" Phillipe said, kissing her softly.

"Well, you definitely look great!" Sarah reiterated.

"So, this is the new team?" Margaret asked. "You all look after this one; this girl was a God send in Amber Beach!"

"Oh, she's saved our butts more than a few times." Preston said, putting his arm around her. "She's been amazing."

"Well, I think there are some hungry campers who are getting impatient for dinner and..." She paused as there was a clashing of steel on steel. The Ninja Steel team were going for their morphers, but Margaret just held up a hand to stop them.

"Not again." She grumbled. Moments later, the team watched as two men appeared, swinging swords at each other. They were both wearing surcoats, one of them green with white thread, the other black and gold. "Guys, really?"

"Um...should we stop them or something?" Calvin asked. "Those swords look pretty...uh...real."

"Trust me; they did this all the time." Sarah sighed. "But they didn't get dressed up to do it. Come on guys, knock it off!"

"Lady Sarah, it is a pleasure!" Ivan greeted her without looking at her. "I promise to catch up when we're finished, so...it won't be long."

"Oh, you got that right!" Riley agreed, going for him. The team watched as their swords clashed a few more times, before Riley managed to sweep Ivan's sword from his hand and bear him to the ground. He held the sword to Ivan's throat. "Do you now accept your former squire's surpassed you?"

"Ah, Sir Riley, you may be a knight, but you still failed to learn one lesson." Ivan said with a smile. "Mind your FOOTING!"

Riley only then noticed he had stepped on Ivan's surcoat. Yanking it hard, Ivan caused Riley to fall to the floor. Ivan retrieved his sword and levelled it at his throat.

"Now sir, do YOU yield?" He asked. Riley just sighed.

"Just help me up would you?" He grumbled. Ivan helped Riley to his feet. "You know, some of us don't get all day to practice anymore. College takes up a fair amount of my time now."

"Ah yes, college may be broadening your mind but it is blunting your edge." Ivan stated as he crossed to the team. "Sir Ivan of Zandar at your service. It is a pleasure to see you again Sarah."

"Wow, he actually talks like that?" Hayley asked. "I thought you were exaggerating about your 'back in the day' stories."

"You must be Hayley, the aspiring politician." Ivan said as he approached her, taking her hand and kissing it. "I am sure she exaggerated only to flatter this humble knight."

"I'm Preston." The Blue Ranger introduced himself.

"Ah, the wizard, and young Sarah's suitor from what I hear." Ivan stated, causing Sarah to become a little uncomfortable. She and Preston were dating, but taking things slowly. Of course she had talked to her friends about it, but she did somewhat forget that things were a little more forthright in Ivan's day and culture. "Tell me; are your intentions toward the young lady honourable?"

"Ivan, stop!" She begged him.

"I only mean to ensure the young gentleman..."

"Uh...yeah, do we I need to remind you that your past isn't exactly a spotless record on that front?" Sarah asked him. "I mean, Zac exists right?"

"Point taken." Ivan said, clearing his throat.

"So, Riley, how's college?" Sarah asked him.

"Oh, it's amazing! I'm so glad I got early admission!" Riley told her. "I've learned so much, and I don't mean just in class! It's a whole different world..."

"Yeah, I can't wait to go myself! You and Leanne must be having a great time!" Sarah said. Ivan just coughed a little and gave a cut-throat gesture.

"Yeah...that...we're not together anymore." Riley told her.

"Oh, right, I'm sorry to hear that." Sarah said regretfully. "Was it...? I mean...are you alright?"

"As good as can be expected." Riley sighed. "I wish I could say different, but I really screwed things up. I guess I have to wear that."

"Anyway, onto happier topics, I believe that dinner is being served." Ivan stated. "And I for one have worked up quite the appetite!"

With that, they headed into the dining room where the others were waiting. Allison, Erin and Chase quickly came over to greet the team.

"OK guys, this is Chase, the Black Ranger, um...his girlfriend?" Sarah asked tentatively. Allison just nodded to confirm the detail. She really didn't want to make any more assumptions having already had her uncomfortable encounter with Riley. "And Erin...Ivan's girlfriend I'm hoping?"

"Yes, still together!" Erin said happily.

"And you guys have your own Levi!" Calvin joked as he pointed to a guy in a Stetson. Kendall was sitting, holding hands with him.

"Matt Griffin, Dino Charge Silver." He said, tipping his hat.

"So, let me get this straight. Tyler, James, Kendall, Matt, Riley, Ivan, Chase, Shelby and Phillipe were all Rangers...the rest of you knew about it?" Preston asked. "Wow, now I don't feel quite so bad about the number of people who found out about us."

"Yeah, the base did get pretty crowded sometimes." Chase chuckled. "Anyway, what are we waiting for? This feast isn't going to eat itself!"

"A man after my own heart!" Calvin agreed as they all started to reach for the centre of the table. "I am famished."

Back in Millport, Brody and Burt were picking out lumber, stacking it up ready to be bundled for loading onto the truck.

"So...you were here before." Burt said, breaking a somewhat tense silence. Brody just nodded.

"I guess you could say that." Brody answered. "We uh...had to leave...in a hurry. But we're back now."

"You should have stayed away." Burt said gruffly under his breath.

"What's that meant to mean?" Brody snapped, becoming unhappy. Burt just looked to him.

"You actually got out of here and then you came back?" He asked. "Why would you come back to this dump?"

"You don't like it here?" Brody asked.

"Are you kidding? I HATE this town!" Burt told him. "You think I want to spend my whole life cutting lumber and telling people what type of paint is waterproof?"

"Nobody said you had to..."

"Yeah, well some people don't have many choices in life!" Burt told him. "My dad's set on me taking the store when he retires and thanks to my SAT's I'm pretty much left with that and life as a hobo as life options."

"What makes you think other people have any more choice than you do?" Brody asked. "Believe me, I didn't leave this town by choice, but now I'm back I just want to make the best of things. Life doesn't doll out chances every day."

"Sometimes it doesn't dole out chances at all." Burt grumbled. "You're just like brainiac."

"OK, I don't know what your deal is, and frankly it really doesn't concern me." Brody told him flatly. "Now, I can bundle this lumber myself and leave you to sulk or you can help, it really makes no difference to me."

"Whatever!" Burt muttered as he grabbed some of the lumber, beginning to bundle it. "So, you're rebuilding the old farm?"

"Yeah." Brody answered. Burt just shrugged.

"I guess it'll be good not to drive past a rotting old shack on deliveries." He commented. "Leave that stuff."

"Look, I don't know what your deal is but I could live without..."

"No...I mean, you were going to grab pine. That's better for interiors." Burt told him. "That darker pile next to it is cedar. It weathers better. If you're rebuilding the workshop and the farmhouse you'd be better off with that."

"Oh." Brody said as he considered it for a moment, before going to the other pile. "Thanks."

"What can I say?" Burt replied, looking to Brody. "I might not know about much, but I know about wood."

"Well, I'm sure my dad will appreciate it when the workshop doesn't fall down in the first high wind." Brody said with a little laugh.

"Careful, that can be quite heavy..." He stared to say, before Brody effortlessly hefted a large amount of cedar off the pile and put it onto the ground. "Wow, someone works out."

"I like to keep in shape." Brody said. Burt grabbed some rope.

"Alright, pay attention; this is the best way to bundle." He told him. "If you don't want to lose half your lumber on the road home, you want to tie it like this."

Back at the Romero Farm, Tom and Levi were waiting for Brody and Dane to return with the supplies. They had done a little work but without the supplies there was only so far they could go. Right now, they were in the house. Tom was tuning the TV, or at least trying to.

"Man, I never realised how spoiled I was with satellite." He commented, smacking the TV and adjusting the old wire antenna. "You've got to get your dad to at least get cable!"

"Good luck with that one!" Levi said with a smile, looking up from the diary. "If I wasn't cute enough at twelve to convince him what makes you think I can convince him now?"

"Good book?" Tom asked.

"It's better than a static screen." Levi commented. "It's pretty interesting reading."

"OK, how interesting is it?" Tom asked him.

"It dates back before we were even born." Levi told him. "This Mariko seems to have known dad before he even met mom. She talks a lot about what it was like when they were students together."

"Really? Dane Romero's school days?" Tom asked. "What was he like?"

"Let's put it this way, I already have a ton of ammunition if he ever talks about us misbehaving!" Levi laughed. "I'm barely a few months in and he's spent more time in the Headmasters' office than the sparring mat."

"So, your old man was a bit of a rebel in his youth?" Tom laughed. "I guess that apple doesn't fall far from the tree!"

Just then, they heard a horn as the truck pulled in. Levi put the diary down.

"I'm going to ignore that!" He told him. "Come on, the truck won't unload itself."

 **A/N:** Well, I know it's unusual to see a chapter going up today, but hey, that's how the schedule went. Happy holidays! Whatever festival you celebrate or even if you just take advantage of the time off to spend time with family, I hope you have a good one.

More is coming soon, and trust me, things are going to get pretty lively!


	4. A Beautiful Sunset

Night drew in and the work on the Romero Farm had ended for the day. They had made a lot of headway on the house, so much in fact that most of the work they would have to do from now on would be purely cosmetic. Furniture and suchlike, "luxuries" as Dane would put it. Of course, considering the fact everyone was sitting on bean bags as he, Brody, Levi and Tom sat down for a dinner of noodles, many would have placed a higher priority on it. The "Romero-Westons" as they had laughingly referred to themselves as the work progressed were alright with it. Dane and his kids were used to minimalist furniture anyway, and Tom being a native Texan and "real cowboy" as Brody had put it was an enthusiastic camper and enjoyed roughing it once in a while. The one that was most vocal about it all was the one who had least use for comfort, Redbot, who not only didn't have touch sensors on most of his body, but at present…didn't even have a body.

"Can you at least get me off the floor and put me up somewhere I can see something other than your feet?" Redbot asked.

"You have sensors that can scan for miles, why do you need to see?" Levi teased him.

"It's the principal of the thing! How would you like it if I ripped your head off and teased you about it?" Redbot snapped in response. Brody picked up the head and put it up on the shelf.

"There, is that better?" Brody asked.

"MUCH better!" Redbot answered. He was in his current state since when they cleared out the school to give Principal Hastings her paint room back, the only way anyone could think of to smuggle him out of the school without anyone noticing was to take him apart. They had promised him that they would make suitable accommodation for him in the workshop, but since they hadn't actually built the workshop yet, that meant right now he was stuck. "You need to be a little more considerate like your brother!"

"Wow, you weren't joking, Redbot really does have feelings." Tom commented, slurping down some noodles.

"Yes, exactly, so you might want to be a little bit nicer to him!" Brody reminded Levi. "Redbot's done a lot for us and made some pretty big sacrifices. If we can't rebuild him yet, I think the least we owe him is a little kindness."

"You know I'm only teasing right Redbot?" Levi asked him, slurping some noodles as he turned the page on the diary. Dane waved some chopsticks his way.

"That may be the case, but that still doesn't excuse poor table manners." He said in a stern manner.

"Don't you strictly speaking need a table to have table manners?" Redbot asked. They all looked at him. "I'm just teasing!"

"Good one Redbot!" Dane said with a smile. "But we have company, so if you could…"

"Fine." Levi grumbled, closing over the diary and putting it into his bag. Dane couldn't help watching where he put it.

"Speaking of which, it's getting late." Tom reminded them. "We're going to have to get going soon."

"Unless you both crash here." Brody suggested. "I mean, we have sleeping bags for all of us, right?"

"Brody, I don't think…"

"What do you say Tom?" Levi asked, looking to him. Tom looked around the assembled Romeros. It was something that he was even being invited. They had been nothing but welcoming and had been very nice to him so far, but he wasn't sure exactly where he stood with them. He could see the look on Levi's face, and it reminded him a lot of the boy that would ask to stay in his room when there was a thunderstorm or when they had seen a scary movie on TV a little too close to bedtime. He just threw up his hands.

"Well, I guess it means we could get an early start tomorrow." He commented. "If we start early enough, maybe we can even raise the workshop, that'd be good right Redbot?"

"If it means I finally get the rest of my body back I'm all for it!" Redbot answered.

"Wait, I just thought of something." Tom stated. "Levi came to us and was raised by us as a family, so I'm his brother, right?"

"Yeah?" Dane said, not quite getting where he was going.

"Well, Mick and Redbot looked out for Brody on the ship. Mick brought him up like his own kid." Tom said. "So, in a way, isn't Redbot kind of his brother?"

Brody looked to Redbot and thought about it for a moment before smiling.

"You know what? I guess he kind of was a big brother." Brody said thinking about it. "I remember the way he used to keep the other 'interns' away from me on the ship and made sure I got enough to eat and stood watch over me and Mick while we slept."

"So, what do you say Redbot? Do you feel like becoming a Romero?" Dane asked him.

"I would consider it a great honour!" Redbot squeaked. Tom picked up a mug full of lemonade.

"Well, here's to the Romero-Westons!" Tom said. The others, well, the ones with hands anyway, picked up their cups.

"The Romero-Westons!" They all chorused, clicking their mugs together.

Over in Zandar, the night was wearing on, and everyone was getting a chance to meet each other and share stories and interests. It wasn't the first time they had met other Rangers, they had already met Kendall and Matt briefly when they had fought Hacktrack, but other than that, they were enjoying getting to know each other.

Ivan watched in wonder as Preston performed one of his tricks for him. He was standing only arm's reach from him as he scrunched a handkerchief into his hand.

"Alright, now keep your eye on my hand!" Preston told him. "One…two…THREE!"

He thrust his hands towards Ivan's face, and as he opened his hands, Ivan could see the handkerchief was gone. The others were holding in laughter.

"Truly astounding!" Ivan gasped. "You are a wizard indeed my friend!"

The others were all trying really hard not to laugh, because they could all see how the trick was done by virtue of the dozens of handkerchiefs on the floor behind Ivan! It was a comedic variation on a trick for an audience. As the magician thrust his hands towards the target's face, their natural instinct was to blink, which meant for a fraction of a second, they were blind. This gave the magician the opportunity to keep the momentum going and throw the handkerchief over the target's shoulder behind them! On stage they would generally stand with their back to the audience or use a handkerchief the same colour as the stage dressing if they wanted to do the trick 'seriously', but many magicians liked to play the fact audiences knew the truth about magic for laughs. They would often do the trick in a way so the audience could plainly see how the trick was done, but the target was still none the wiser. It got laughs and was a nice warm-up before performing more impressive tricks. Eventually Chase couldn't take any more.

"Ivan, you might want to turn around mate." He suggested in a deep laugh. Ivan turned around, seeing the handkerchiefs behind him. He turned to Preston and looked far from amused.

"I was led to believe you were a true wizard!" Ivan said bad-temperedly.

"Ivan, don't be such a sour-puss." Erin said soothingly as she came over, beginning to stroke his shoulders. "I'm sure Preston's got much more impressive tricks, he just wants to keep some of them to himself."

"I'm sorry, but I couldn't resist." Preston stated. "But I promise I do have some proper tricks. I'll do a real show once I've had a chance to rest up."

"Of course, I suppose I wouldn't expect to tilt on the day I arrived at a tourney." Ivan conceded. "I shall let you astound me at another time."

As Ivan went aside with Erin, Preston started to look around and suddenly noticed that Sarah wasn't actually there. It was a little surprising since the Amber Beach team were her old friends. He was expecting her to be there with them. He could see though that everyone was more than occupied with the pre-wedding celebrations and decided to slip out and go looking for Sarah.

That was easier said than done. The castle was a huge place, at one time the home of an entire garrison. While there were less staff now, that didn't mean to say it wasn't still a long way. He decided to cut down his search a little, pulling out the contents of his pockets, looking for something. He had a few things, namely change, gum wrappers and the like, but he finally found something he could use. It wasn't much, in fact to most people it would be nothing, but he found a blown fuse. The only thing that could have used it was Sarah's hoverboard. He pulled out his wand, and circled it over the fuse in his hand.

"Renwo Kees!" He said, at which a pink light floated up from it. The light started to drift away, at which Preston followed it. Sure enough, the fuse had been from Sarah's hoverboard. The seeking spell needed a personal item from the owner to work. He couldn't think of many things more personal to Sarah than her proudest creation, her precious hoverboard. She was standing on the ramparts over the gates with her camera, taking photographs with her camera. Preston smiled as he came up to her, putting his arm around her.

"I know everyone's proud of their home, but when Phillipe and Ivan used to tell me how beautiful this place is, I always wanted to come and see it." Sarah told him. "Can you believe this sunset?"

"It's really something alright." Preston agreed. "If it wasn't for satellite dishes and electric lights, I'd almost believe we had gone back in time here. They really love holding onto their heritage in Zandar don't they?"

"The way that Phillipe and Ivan used to talk about their home I used to always feel a real love." Sarah continued. "Even Koda would have this look on his face when he talked about being back in the cave with his family."

"Koda, he's the one I've not met yet?" Preston asked her. She just nodded.

"He's really something, he's got this amazing heart. He also gives the most amazing hugs!" Sarah said with a little laugh. "I can't wait until you get a chance to meet him. I think you'll really like him."

"If he was your friend, I'm sure I'll love him too." Preston stated. "Everyone always feels like this about their home."

"I wouldn't know." Sarah sighed. Preston just looked to her a little curiously.

"What?" He asked her.

"I mean, I love Summer Cove and I loved Amber Beach, but the way everyone talks about where they grew up, I just…I've never felt that." Sarah told him. "My family moved around a lot. When my dad was in investments, he was always on the lookout for the bigger firm, the better job…"

"The better pay check." Preston concluded. Sarah just nodded.

"Then after what happened in Panorama, we moved a few times to keep ahead of the rumours and make sure people didn't put two and two together." Sarah told him sadly. "I know my dad's a much better person now. I am so proud of him and the changes he's made in his life and I love him so much, but I can't help hearing the way everyone talks about their homes and feeling like I've missed out on something."

"Well, to be fair, Brody's home was a spaceship where he was a slave." Preston said, trying to find a positive spin to put on things. She knew what he was doing and appreciated the effort. "Considering the fact, he jumped out the trash chute thousands of feet in the sky…I'd say he doesn't miss it that much!"

Preston turned her to face him.

"For what it's worth, there is one good thing about not having a home." Preston pressed on. "It means you get to make one wherever you want, with whoever you want."

"That's…that's one way to look at it I suppose." She replied.

"And as someone who did grow up there, I can recommend Summer Cove." He answered.

"I could see that happening." She answered, looking to Preston as the glow of the setting sun illuminated his face. They both stared at each other for a moment, and then they started to draw towards each other. They had already tried to kiss once, they both still laughed at 'the incident' as they had come to know it. Both of them were nervous and inexperienced, and had since come to the realisation that they had let other people get into their heads and push them towards a stage in their relationship they weren't actually ready for. The whole thing was hilarious now, though rather embarrassing at the time. Now though something was overtaking them in this time. They pulled together, this time without any prompting angling their heads and pressing their lips together as they pulled in, taking each other in their arms. They parted after a moment, just staring at each other.

"Woah." Preston said after a minute.

"Yeah, woah!" She answered. "That was…really something."

"Yeah, it really was." Preston agreed. "Um…are you done here?"

"I think I've got the best shots." Sarah said a little awkwardly. "It…it really does get chilly out here quickly doesn't it?"

"Yeah, it does!" Preston agreed. "So…we going back inside?"

"Yeah, I think that would be for the best." Sarah agreed. Preston offered his hand, which Sarah eventually took, and with that, they both headed back inside.

Back on the Romero Farm, in the dead of night, all was still. They had all stayed up for a little while, but had ended up going to bed relatively early so that they could be up early to begin work on the workshop. After dubbing Redbot an official brother, they had felt they really couldn't justify leaving him as just a head any longer than absolutely necessary. The house was now structurally fine, and would need only a little furnishing and cosmetic work, which they had all decided could wait until after they rebuilt Redbot. It would also allow them to begin to search for the Super Ninja Steel asteroid, which with a working workshop would mean they could start to rebuild and replace their old arsenal.

There was, however, one figure still moving. Dane had risen, and had gone outside. He didn't really feel right about what he was doing, but he had waited until the lantern in his sons' room had gone out, and then made his move.

He crept up to the window, and took a look inside. Brody and Levi had taken this room, and were sleeping on the floor. At least, they looked like they were sleeping, that was always a big danger in covert entry. Some people would lie in bed for some time before they finally went to sleep, some were light sleepers. He opened the window gently, allowing a gentle breeze inside to see if the boys stirred. They did, but not much, only a little shifting of the sleeping bags to pull them in and make themselves warmer.

He then went to the next stage, picking up small pieces of gravel from the ground, he tossed one in, hitting Brody. There was a small movement, but more just an instinctual reaction like shaking off a bug than anything else. There was no real investigation to find out what touched him. He did the same to Levi, getting much the same reaction. He took this as his time to make his move. She slipped in the window, silently setting down on the floor.

Moving quietly was a skill a ninja developed over a lifetime. Some surfaces were easier than others. Even, firm surfaces like concrete were relatively simple. Some surfaces like wood, which would creak with uneven pressure, were a lot more difficult, but he was a master. He had been able to sneak up on the Head Master of the Wind Ninja Academy on a gravel path, getting close enough to pick his pocket once. It impressed him enough to land him on the shortlist to become a Sensei.

He looked around the room, trying to find what he was looking for. He saw Levi's bag on the hook by the door and made his way over. He got to the bag and undid the clasp, before looking to the boys to make sure neither of them were moving. Carefully, he reached inside, and with a quick search, he found the diary. Taking it with his thumb and forefinger, he slipped it out of the bag. He clipped the bag again. One of the biggest mistakes anyone made in these situations was leaving too much out of place or not how people expected it to be. If Levi found his bag unclipped, he might think someone took something out of it, but if it was still clipped, he could doubt he put the diary in there in the first place. Dane made his way back across the room, and slipped out the window, quietly sliding it shut. He smiled as he looked to the diary.

"Still got it!" He complimented himself, before turning to head back around the farmhouse. As he was going though, he heard something moving. He looked around, finding a route to make his way around. One of the most important rules of ninjutsu was that the direct approach was rarely the most productive.

He managed to circle around, before taking to the trees. He used the branches to make his way back towards where he had heard the noise, eventually finding someone in the bushes heading towards the house. The figure was making a good effort, he had been trained, most likely as a tracker or hunter. In a farming community, people with such skills were quite common, though by comparison to a Ninja Master he was an amateur. Dane moved directly above the figure as he was heading for the house, beginning to look in the windows, before preparing to strike. Another rule of ninjutsu, one so many didn't seem to know, always look up!

He dropped down on the figure, causing them both to tumble to the ground. The diary fell from his hand, but right now his priority was the figure in his yard.

It was dark, so he didn't get a good look at his face, but it looked to be an adult, not much smaller than him. Dane lunged for him, but the figure was surprisingly quick, ducking his lunge. Dane turned and looked after him, seeing him already halfway into the woods, moving at an impressive pace. It was then that he heard movement inside the house.

"Hello?" He heard Levi call out. The commotion had woken the others. He suddenly became aware of the fact he didn't have the diary and looked around frantically for it, before the lantern was lit. He had to abandon it and get inside before the others realised what was going on. He ran back inside to head off his sons, not noticing that as he ran, he inadvertently kicked the diary into the crawl space under the house.


	5. Talking First Kisses

The following morning, Sarah was awake very early. In truth, she wasn't even sure she had really slept. There were maybe two, perhaps three hours she couldn't account for between different times she looked at the digital alarm clock, but she definitely hadn't had a restful night.

It wasn't the unfamiliar surroundings. Sometimes people had a difficult time sleeping anywhere other than their own bed. Habit and territorialism were big factors in comfort and relaxation but Sarah had moved around so much as a kid, she never really had a problem with unfamiliar surroundings. Given the snoring coming from the other bed from her room-mate Hayley, the White Ranger, it seemed she didn't have that particular problem either. However there was just some feeling within her, something that wouldn't quite let her switch off. Finally giving up on sleeping, she decided to get changed and take the opportunity to get a little training in.

Although it certainly wasn't as busy as during the day, there was never really a "quiet" time in the castle. Staff and security worked 24 hours a day, meaning that there was always a significant presence. She gave a polite greeting to the staff as she passed, heading outside, looking for somewhere to take a run. Despite appearances, despite the fact they were in a castle that had been built before Ivan was born, the fact was that the home of the Royal Family also doubled as the headquarters of the Zandarian Military. Despite the rather ornate and ceremonial nature of a lot of it, she was mindful of the fact that it was, strictly speaking, a working military barracks and even though she was a guest there were places she wasn't meant to go.

She decided upon the ramparts. The courtyards were often used for drilling, inspections and training, and so it wouldn't be too long before the changing of the guards when they would probably appreciate the space. The worst that was likely to happen on the ramparts was she would meet up with a patrolling guard.

She got up onto the ramparts and started to warm up, stretching off in preparation for her run. It would only take a couple of laps around the castle to make up a mile. She was just about to start up her shuffle, putting it onto random and putting in her ear-buds when she felt a hand on her shoulder. She looked around to see Kendall, Shelby and Margaret standing behind her.

"Hey there." Margaret greeted her.

"Hi!" Sarah said, looking around them. "Um...isn't it a little early...?"

"Old habits I'm afraid." Margaret stated. "I've always been an early riser."

Sarah just nodded. Although she was only a couple of days from marrying into the Royal Family, she had been for many years a member of the Zandarian Military. She was on the household staff and among many other duties, including being a confidante and aide; her chief responsibility had been as Phillipe's personal bodyguard.

"We're usually up pretty early too." Shelby told her, gesturing to herself and Kendall. "You know what they say, just because the dinosaurs get to sleep forever doesn't mean we do."

"Besides, as Maid of Honour, I'm supposed to make sure nothing happens to the bride." Kendall told her. "So, would you like a little company?" Sarah just nodded.

"Sure, why not?" She asked. They all started to make their way along the ramparts, setting themselves a comfortable pace.

"So, you and Preston disappeared for a little while last night." Shelby commented.

"Koda gets in tonight doesn't he?" Sarah asked, changing the subject.

"His plane should be getting in a little later." Margaret answered. "There was some delay at customs in Tokyo, they weren't saying much but he'll be in later."

"Right...that's good." Sarah answered. "It'll be great to see him."

Over at the Romero Farm, Dane, Brody, Levi and Tom were sitting around, getting some breakfast before they started work for the day. Tom put down his coffee after taking a sip.

"So, there was seriously someone snooping around last night?" He asked as Levi relayed the events to him. Well, the events he knew about anyway. There had been a noise outside loud enough to wake him.

"I'm a little surprised you slept through it." Brody commented. He just shrugged.

"Not all of us are trained ninjas you know." He reminded him. "I'm a native Texan. Even the hunters got an early start where I grew up."

"We had a look around; there was definitely someone out there." Brody commented. "His tracks disappeared into the woods, but there was definitely someone out there."

"Think they were after anything in particular?" Tom asked.

"There were plenty of tools and supplies in the yard; if they wanted anything it wouldn't have been hard to get them." Levi commented. "It's almost like they were more interested in the house."

"It's probably the local kids." Dane suggested. He could see the way they were looking at him. He didn't really know too much more than they did. He hadn't actually seen who it was that was checking out the house, but he also didn't really have a good explanation for why he was out in the yard in the middle of the night. "You know, seeing if there really was someone in the old cursed Romero place."

"You really think so?" Levi asked. "It seems a long way for a kid to come out at night."

"You didn't see the reaction we got at the hardware store when we told everyone where we were staying." Brody told him. "It might be worth asking around."

"I don't know..."

"Dad, someone was coming to spy on us in the dead of night." Levi told him.

"It was probably just curious kids." Dane reiterated.

"You know we do have a few things that we might not want curious kids getting too interested in." Levi reminded him.

"They were probably just seeing if we're really living here." Dane said, hoping to get the subject onto something else. "Now they've seen we're here I doubt they'll be back."

"Probably, if it was someone that was really looking for something I doubt they'd have run off because one of us woke up." Levi concluded. While they had destroyed Galvanax, and as far as anyone knew Cosmo and the others were gone, the fact was that with the power of the Nexus Prism around, they couldn't discount the possibility someone else would come for it eventually, and if they did, they would likely expect resistance. They doubted someone would run off at the mere thought of a fight. "Still, it might not be a bad idea to set up a few security precautions. Even if it is just kids, last thing we need if we do start forging the Super Ninja Steel is a bunch of kids treating us like the local side-show."

"That's probably not a bad idea." Brody agreed. Tom started to look a little concerned.

"Um...security precautions?" He asked. "What kind of precautions?"

"Nothing lethal, just something that'll let us know if someone's coming." Brody assured him. "There's no point in making it clear there's something worth seeing here, just let us keep an eye on people until we know if they're here to have a look or just passing through."

"I could set something up once I'm rebuilt." Redbot chipped in.

"Thanks Redbot, but we were thinking of something a little lower tech." Brody said with a smile. "The Wind Ninja Academy had some pretty nice tricks for that kind of thing. We'll need you to concentrate on scanning for the Super Ninja Steel."

"Alright, now that's settled." Dane said as he put his plate down. "How about we all get to work raising that workshop?"

"That sounds like a plan to me!" Tom chipped in.

"Say, do any of you know what I did with the diary?" Levi asked as they got up. "I couldn't find it this morning."

"Didn't you put it in your bag?" Brody asked.

"It's the first place I looked." Levi told him.

"Look, everything's kind of all over the place right now, I'm certain it'll turn up." Dane assured him, but secretly concerned with the location of the book himself. He had it in his hands, he had managed to sneak it out of the house before he found the intruder, but in the scuffle, he had somehow lost track of where it was. He hadn't had time to look for it before he had to go with Brody and Levi to look for the intruder. He had no idea where it had gone, but he could only hope that he could find it before Levi did. "So, let's get this workshop up! Who knows, if we have time maybe Redbot could actually be back on his feet by the end of the day!"

"Well, I for one think he's waited long enough." Brody said, grabbing a screwdriver. "Where are the boxes with the rest of him?"

"Uh...you sure you wouldn't like to wait for Sarah to come home?" Levi asked. Brody just shrugged.

"On the Warrior Dome if you didn't get up quickly enough when you got knocked down you either got eaten or thrown in the trash." Brody told them, picking up Redbot's head. "We got pretty good at patching each other up. I might not be Sarah, but I know my way around a screwdriver. Come on Redbot, let's find your body."

Over in Zandar, Phillipe had taken the guys out into the town to enjoy the festivities. There was a very positive air around the city, and people seemed to genuinely love Phillipe. They kept coming up to him, congratulating him and offering him gifts, some of which, like a hand-drawn picture from a little girl, he kept, others of which like money, clothing and even a car, he politely suggested be donated to worthy causes in his name.

"Thank you, I couldn't be happier." Phillipe told an old lady as she shook his hand.

"I can't wait until you're running things. I'd like to see Zandar show the world what we can do." She told him. Phillipe just laughed. "Not many countries can say a real Power Ranger is their leader!"

"Well, actually our last President was..." Calvin started to say, before Tyler shooshed him. It wasn't as though he was likely to cause offence, but since the old lady had already spoken to Phillipe at length, IN PUBLIC about her desire to see the next generation of the Royal Bloodline soon, he had a feeling she wasn't terribly interested in the outside world.

"Oh, hopefully that won't be for some time yet!" He told her as she toddled off to go back to her own business. Preston just sniggered.

"Dude, you are SERIOUSLY popular here." Preston commented. "And some of your people have no filter."

"Welcome to the joys of public life." Phillipe commented. "I admit I enjoy living in a bubble somewhat. Not many other Rangers with public identities get such universal approval from their homeland, but I think the fact the majority of the war took place NOT in Zandar had a hand in that."

"So seriously, everyone here knows about you?" Preston asked.

"It's part and parcel of being a Royal." He commented. "Very little of my life is private."

"Yeah, I know but getting a...WAY too graphic run-down of what to do on your wedding night from a random stranger?" Preston commented. "I think I'd appreciate some relationship advice from someone a little closer to home."

"Well from what I hear you could use it mate." Chase chuckled. Tyler and Riley immediately hit him and looked to him a little judgementally.

"What...what's that meant to mean?" Preston asked him. Chase immediately realised he'd done it again, diving right in with his size tens without thinking.

"Um...just that...uh..."

"Well, to be fair man...your relationship isn't exactly in high-gear." Levi said as diplomatically as he could. "In fact, it kind of seems like it's in neutral."

"Says the guy who doesn't even have a relationship." Preston humphed rather defensively. "We have kissed."

"Yeah, didn't you head butt each other?" Calvin asked him. Preston started to get a little irritated, feeling like the guys were ganging up on him. He knew they were just ribbing him, but he really didn't like the fact they seemed so intimately familiar with his relationship status.

"Well, for your information we kissed last night actually!" Preston told them. They all smiled back at him.

"Well, as someone who has had his share if indiscretions in the past, of which I am not proud, I for one think it is admirable the young wizard is taking things slowly wooing the fair Sarah." Ivan said, putting his arm around Preston's shoulders. "Now tell me Preston, how was it? Did the heavens sing and poetry fill your heart..."

"You know what? I'm sorry I brought it up!" Preston snapped, shoving him off. "Now, can we get back to the fair?"

"Yes, but...first I think some lunch is in order." Phillipe said, guiding them towards a pub. "This place is nice, the owner knows me. David, can we have the back room?"

"Your usual table is set as always Phillipe." He said, showing them through. Preston just rolled his eyes as he realised he was getting railroaded. Now he really wished he hadn't said anything.

Back in the castle, the girls were taking the time to enjoy the castle's large, indoor pool. It was not just a part of the Prince's training regime, but also a rather amazing way to relax.

"Now this is how to live!" Allison commented as she rose out of the water, next to Sarah and Kendall. She looked to Margaret, who was just finishing a lap. "I'm telling you, you really landed on your foot with Phillipe."

"Oh, don't I know it." She chuckled. "Though it would be nice if I didn't get quite so many questions regarding when the heirs are coming."

"Ew, seriously?" Shelby asked. "Don't people know the meaning of 'none of your business'?"

"I knew what I signed up for." Margaret replied with a shrug. "It's part of the package deal."

"Yeah, I keep reminding myself of that any time Tyler and his dad run off on one of their adventures." Shelby told her. "They're actually meeting up with Albert this summer to take him out to Gosei's island so he can see an actual Bigfoot!"

"That sounds like fun." Sarah replied.

"Considering the fact James manages to cause an international incident pretty much everywhere he goes, I'm preparing for the worst." Shelby answered. "So, you were pretty quiet this morning. Is everything alright?"

"She probably just found it hard to sleep." Hayley said, looking a little guilty. "I've been told I snore like a chainsaw."

"It wasn't the most restful nights' sleep." Sarah replied, before looking to the others. "OK, um...something might have...happened last night."

"Oh?" Allison asked. "Which of the guys am I assigning to empty the grease traps for the next month?"

"Oh, no it's nothing like that. It's um..." Sarah replied. "You know me and Preston kind of...slipped away for a little while last night?"

"Yes." Kendall said, raising an eyebrow. Sarah noticed the gesture and started to shift a little uncomfortably.

"Wait, do...do you think I meant..."

"Damn girl, there's gears between neutral and top!" Shelby commented.

"Hey, I didn't mean..."

"Please don't say in my bed; please don't say in my bed..." Hayley started to ramble.

"NO!" Sarah shrieked. "It was nothing like that! We just...I went out to the ramparts to take some pictures and he joined me up there..."

"You did it on the ramparts?" Hayley screeched. "Damn girl!"

"WE DIDN'T HAVE SEX!" Sarah yelled out loud. They just heard a cough, at which the waiter who was bringing them through some drinks turned and quietly left. Sarah started to blush a little. "We were talking and it was so beautiful and I started talking about how everyone talks so warmly about their homes and never feeling that and he was just so sweet about it all and...we kissed." The others just stared at her a moment, before smiling.

"So, details please!" Kendall pressed on.

In the pub, the guys had ordered some lunch, but although the food and the drink were excellent, they weren't paying it terribly much attention. They were more interested in talking with Preston.

"So this time you didn't poke her in the eye with your nose." Calvin asked.

"No, this time we managed to get it right." Preston told them. "I mean, the moment was just so...I can't really explain it." Preston told them. "The sun was setting and Sarah was taking some pictures, and then she was talking about how much Phillipe and Ivan talked about how much they love their homeland."

"It is certainly a jewel in the crown of this world." Ivan said proudly. Preston breathed a sigh as he tried to explain.

"Well, that just led to her thinking about how much everyone loves where they came from..."

"Uh...to be fair not all of us." Riley commented, putting his hand up. "I couldn't wait to get off the farm."

"The thing is, then she just started talking about how growing up she never stayed in one place very long, how they never put down roots anywhere and never knowing what that felt like." Preston carried on. "So I told her about how home's just an idea and it's where you love and the people you love are and one thing led to another and it just felt so right and we just...we just kissed."

"Well right on man!" Tyler said, just slapping him on the back. "That beats the hell out of my first kiss story."

"You mean when you kissed Shelby in the cafe?" Chase chuckled. "I think anything would beat that."

"Whatever man, it's not about where it happens or when, it's about what it means to you, how it makes you feel. That moment when your heart's racing or you just don't care about anything else or you just feel like if the world ended right then and there you'd be happy." Tyler said. It was just then that they noticed Preston slipping down in his seat, almost like he was trying to slither under the table and escape. "Uh...Preston? What is it?"

"So when Matt kissed me that first time, I didn't know what the hell was going on!" Kendall recalled. "We'd walked around town, my armpits hurt like hell because I was still on crutches after breaking my leg in the battle for the Ankylo Zord, and the whole time I didn't even know if it was a date or if Matt was just checking up on how we were looking after his brother. Once he kissed me, I...wasn't thinking about much. I think it was the first time in years I literally didn't have a thought in my head."

"Oh, we all remember Kendall the Klutz." Shelby chuckled. "It was super cute to watch."

"I'm glad you found it so amusing." Kendall said with a smirk. She then noticed Sarah looking a little dejected. "So, it's all good right? You have your own first kiss story."

"And it has to be way better than my story." Shelby sniggered. "I mean, don't get me wrong it was great at the time, but I really wish my first kiss hadn't been when I was wearing an apron covered in grease and mustard."

"You did...like it didn't you?" Allison asked her. Sarah just got a really pained expression on her face.

"That's just it; all the things you're talking about...I never felt any of that." Sarah told them. "Guys, it was...it was awful!"

 **A/N:** Did you see THAT coming?

OK, first and foremost, Happy New Year to everyone. Secondly, REALLY sorry about the hiatus. No excuses, I have to admit this was just a really unproductive period and I am sorry for that. I really hope to be getting out the next part soon.

Thanks for your continued support and your reviews.


	6. Never A Good Time

In the bar in Zandar, all the guys were staring at Preston, unable to fully comprehend exactly what he had just said. The old saying of being able to hear a pin drop didn't quite cover the awkwardness in the room. Preston was starting to wonder if any of them would ever speak to him again before Calvin finally spoke.

"W...what do you mean...it...wasn't good?" Calvin asked him.

"All that stuff you're talking about, the fireworks the electricity feeling like you can fly or outrun a locomotive and all that stuff, I didn't feel anything like that!" Preston told them. "If anything it felt kind of...weird...and wrong...almost creepy. It was like...kissing a goldfish!"

"Have a lot of experience with that do you mate?" Chase asked. For a moment, the pressure was off Preston as everyone stared at him. "I was just trying to break the tension."

"I mean it was kind of...wet...and cold." Preston told them. "And I just got this really strange shiver up my spine. It was like when your parents make you kiss one of your relatives when you're a kid it just feels...not right."

"So...what are you saying?" Tyler asked him. "Are you and Sarah...?"

"I...don't know." Preston answered. "I didn't exactly tell her."

"You didn't talk to her after you kissed her?" Riley asked. "Dude, I might have got dumped by my vampire ex-girlfriend after a certain...incident at fresher's week, but even I know that's a bonehead move."

"Why, what am I meant to say?" Preston asked. "Look at my girlfriend and say..."

"...Hey, kissing you was like eating a grapefruit with teeth and made me really want to wretch?" Sarah asked. The girls all stared at her.

"Yikes!" Margaret stated. "Um...yeah, maybe don't say that."

"I mean seriously, it just felt so weird and gross. I don't know, it was like...every part of it didn't feel right." Sarah whined, putting her face into her hands. "What in the hell is wrong with me?"

"What do you mean wrong with you?" Shelby asked her. Sarah looked to her.

"Oh, yeah, a cute guy who's funny and kind and considerate and treats me like the best thing that's ever happened to the world wants to be my boyfriend and everything in me is saying 'surprise, he doesn't turn you on at all'!"

"Well, you know, not everything about him is perfect I'm sure." Shelby suggested tentatively. Sarah just looked to her a little unconvinced.

"Are you kidding me?" She asked. "Have you seen..."

"...her?" Preston asked. "She's smart, she's exciting, she's clever, she has an AMAZING body!" Preston listed. "Don't look at me like that, I'm not blind! She has literally every guy in the school after her. I can't count the number of guys I've never even spoken to before telling me how lucky I am or how much they hate me because I'm with her and all I could think about when I was kissing her was how to get the hell out of there!"

"So it wasn't great." Chase asked. "Isn't it possible it was just...you know...first time nerves?"

"Or bad technique, I've heard that can have a lot to do with it." Phillipe suggested. As the others looked to him he looked a little bashful. "Margaret may have said...I needed a little practice in the beginning."

"Guys..."

"Yeah, maybe that's it! Sometimes a bad experience when you first try something can make you associate it with that bad thing." James suggested. "Like when I first tried smoking! I was sitting opposite the door in a bar and someone opened it and blew the whole cloud right into my face! My eyes were stinging, I couldn't breathe, I felt sick...now I can't even look at a cigarette without my stomach turning."

"Guys..."

"Yeah, like Classical Conditioning, like that Russian guy and the dogs!" Calvin chipped in.

"Guys..."

"Pavlov." Matt stated. "When your girlfriend's a PhD you learn a few things."

"Guys..."

"Yeah, maybe just a tutorial could help." Calvin suggested, grabbing Preston. "Here, try it like this..."

"GET OFF ME!" Preston called out, shoving Calvin off him as he pressed his lips to Preston's. "Guys, I don't think it was the kiss. I think...I think something's wrong with me. Like maybe I'm not attracted to her."

"Not attracted to him?" Hayley asked, starting to feel a little for her friend. It was clear this was weighing heavily on Sarah's mind and had been for a while. She and Calvin had already felt a lot of guilt about the debacle that was their first attempt at a kiss, and for pushing them to go faster than they were ready for. She and Calvin had seen how they were with each other, hell everyone had, and so many people assumed they were an item long before they actually were.

"I know, I mean he's such a perfect guy that any girl would be lucky to be with and when I was kissing him all I wanted to do was run the opposite way!" Sarah complained. "This is such a mess, what the hell am I going to do?"

"I...really don't think there's much else you can do." Hayley said, taking the lead as Sarah's best friend. "If you don't want to be with him then he kind of has to know that."

"But he's my best friend!" Sarah said. "He'll be crushed, and we'll lose all of that and it'll be so awkward and...oh God, how did I manage to make such a mess of everything?"

"So instead you're going to what? Just stay with him?" Kendall asked.

"Maybe for a little while?" Sarah suggested weakly. "You know, a lot of people drift apart naturally when they go to college right? Riley and Leanne did."

"Actually Leanne broke his jaw when..."

"I don't think that's exactly pertinent to the subject at hand." Kendall cut off Allison, before looking to Sarah. "So you stay with him. How long?"

"Until...the right opportunity comes up?" Sarah suggested.

"What if there isn't an opportune moment for a long time? How long do you wait?" Kendall suggested. "After you're married?..."

"...Maybe after the second or third kid?" Matt concluded.

"No, of course not!" Preston protested.

"The point is, I really don't think there's going to be a great time to tell her things aren't working." James said sagely. "I think this is one of those times you just have to tell someone something that hurts and get it over with."

"But she'll hate me!" Preston protested.

"Perhaps, but if there is any chance for you to have a relationship then it is something you will have to say." Ivan told him. "One of my deepest regrets was finding out that I had sired a bloodline that I never knew existed. I was confronted with the fact that I wasn't a good man, and I have often wished I could go back and make things right. All I can do now is try to be the best man I can be now, but it still pains me to know that there was a woman in my life, however briefly, that I did wrong."

"OK, you're right, this is just one of those things I have to say to her." Preston said sadly. "I just hope she doesn't end up hating me. I'm heading back to the castle."

"We'll go with you." Calvin said, getting up.

"We'll finish up here." Phillipe told them. "We're due to pick up Koda at the hangar in a little while so we'll be back after that."

"We'll catch you back there." Preston answered as the three Ninja Steel Rangers left. The Dino Charge team just looked to each other.

"I do NOT envy him at all." Chase stated.

"I don't think anyone does." Tyler added. "Say, dad, mind passing the jalapeno poppers?"

Back in the castle, Sarah had gone back to her room to get showered and changed. By the time Hayley had come back, Sarah's half of the room was covered in discarded clothing. Hayley just let out a whistle.

"If I didn't know better I'd say this looks more like the room of a person going on a date than someone about to break up with their boyfriend." She commented.

"I was trying not to look too...you know..." Sarah said, trying and failing miserably to explain what she was thinking, stumbling over the fact that she didn't actually know what she was trying to say more than simply finding a word for it. "I mean...what do you say to a guy you're dumping?"

"If I knew I'd tell you." Hayley said with a shrug. "I guess I was just lucky with Calvin."

"Yeah, can you not rub that in my face please?" Sarah asked.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to." Hayley answered. "In fact, I was kind of coming to...apologise to you."

"Apologise?" Sarah asked. "For what?"

"I feel at least partly responsible. I know Calvin and I were really pushing for you guys to get together." Hayley answered. "I guess I was letting my inner shipper get the best of me."

"Hayls, you might have pushed, but we didn't need to go there." Sarah told her. "I'd always noticed that Preston was a great guy, and he's got a pretty good body on him. You really don't know what that tuxedo hides."

"Really?" Hayley asked, arching an eyebrow. Sarah just laughed.

"Trust me, there's no such thing as personal space in magic." Sarah said from experience. She'd been Preston's assistant in his shows now for a fair amount of time and even helped him create some of his newest tricks with her technical skills. "Most of the tricks are covered by your outfit, and escapology requires a lot of fitness and flexibility. You spend a surprising amount of time with your clothes off preparing for magic shows."

"You know you're not doing my inner shipper any good talking like that right?" Hayley told her sadly. "I'm sorry I set you guys up to run into an iceberg."

"Like I said, it's not like it's not an idea that hadn't crossed our minds at some point. You just nudged us in that direction. It's not your fault it didn't work. I guess, it's not anyone's fault." Sarah told her. "But Preston is still one of the coolest, most amazing people I've ever known. He's been my best friend since I got here, and I really just hope that we get to keep that. That's the only thing that I really don't want to lose."

Hayley looked to her, her eyes bright and sparkling as she stared wordlessly at Sarah.

"What?" She asked. Hayley grabbed her and hugged her tightly.

"That." Hayley told her. "You tell him..."

"...EXACTLY that, word for word!" Calvin concluded as he and headed back towards the castle. "Trust me, that is what you want to say."

"Do you really think so?" Preston asked him.

"Dude, seriously it's perfect." Calvin assured him. "Well, perfect would have been if Hayley and I hadn't pushed you both into all this in the first place, but it's the next best thing."

"Don't worry about it man, it's not like it's not something I'd considered." Preston assured him. He looked up ahead. "That street looks pretty crowded with the fair, let's head over a block."

"I was thinking the same thing." Calvin added. They turned and headed down an alley, hoping to move over another street to get an easier walk up to the castle.

"So, you did make it longer than some couples." Calvin pointed out. "If I remember rightly Victor's record was his date for homecoming last year. It lasted two hours."

"Look, I know he's not that bad a guy and everything but please don't start comparing me to Victor." Preston answered with a chuckle. He looked up as they bumped into someone. "Whoa, sorry man, we're just passing through."

"Passing on more like." The stranger answered. Preston and Calvin just looked to him. He was wearing a denim jacket over a hoodie, which had the hood pulled up hiding his face in shadow. He was wearing jeans and sneakers. They couldn't help picking up the subtle threat in his statement.

"Look man, we're not from around here but this isn't exactly a move that's going to end well for you." Calvin told him. "There's a main street at either end of this alley and I'm pretty sure the local cops will hear if something starts..."

"You think that scares me?" He demanded.

"Look, I really don't know what your problem is or what you want, but if you could just get out of our way..." Calvin said, reaching out to touch his shoulder and move him aside. The stranger grabbed his hand, twisting it sharply before hitting him with a spin-kick, knocking Calvin to the ground. It was clear from the fluidity and precision of his movement that this was no mere mugger. Not many muggers could boast Martial Arts training to that level.

"CAL!" Preston called out, quickly adopting a guard, but flashing a look back in Calvin's direction, seeing him still moving on the ground before turning his attention back to the stranger. "You OK?"

"Better than this guy's about to be!" Calvin snapped. "Son of a bitch just broke my wrist!"

"What is your PROBLEM man?" Preston demanded angrily as he and Calvin confronted him. He just let out a sinister laugh.

"Right now, it's the fact you have something I want." The stranger replied, pulling down his hood, revealing long, dark hair that spilled past his shoulders and a face lined with black veins. "Blue Ranger!"

"OK, I don't know who you are or how you know who we are, but clearly you know why this is a REALLY bad idea!" Calvin snapped at him. The stranger just smirked.

"My name's Lord Drakkon." He told them. "And I want your Power Stars!"

"Sorry, but you're going to have to go through us to get them!" Preston told him.

"Did I say I wanted it any other way?" Drakkon asked, before rushing towards them, letting out a loud, very distinctive Kiai.

Elsewhere in Zandar, Phillipe and the others arrived by limo in his personal hangar, finding another motorcade had already gotten there. There were already guards waiting.

"I thought you called ahead to tell your people that we were picking Koda up." Chase commented. Phillipe just laughed.

"Oh, but they're not just my people Chase." Phillipe reminded him as he made his way over. The door to the limo was opened and an older man got out. He had white hair, and a very thick moustache. He was wearing a suit, with a bright sash running from his right shoulder to his left hip. Phillipe shook his hand, before hugging him. "Father, I didn't realise you were back."

"Are you joking? You know I wanted to be back for the show!" He told him, before leaning in. "Not to mention I was hoping to get an autograph before the big day."

"We're hosting the show, I'm sure he'll give you your autograph." Phillipe chuckled. "Just, maybe not directly off a flight from Tokyo."

James cleared his throat, his subtle way of reminding Phillipe they were there. Phillipe took the hint well.

"Ah, yes father, these are my friends. My best man Matt, his younger brother Riley, Tyler, Chase, James and of course you've met Ivan." Phillipe introduced them. "Gentlemen, this is my father, Prince Henry II of Zandar, current ruler of Zandar."

"It's a pleasure to meet you Your Highness." Tyler said, shaking his hand, before showing him his phone. "Do you mind?"

"Oh, not at all!" He responded, posing for the selfie with Tyler. Chase just shook his head.

"I still can't get my head around this, how is it that you're the Prince, but also rule the nation?" Chase asked. "And your son is the Prince too?"

"No trouble at all, I get this all the time." He assured him. "It's because Zandar is a PRINCIPALITY. Strictly speaking Phillipe's official title is Hereditary Prince, but everyone always shortens it to Prince."

"So, Your Highness, it's a real pleasure to meet you." Riley said, shaking his hand. "I heard you were a huge fan, but I didn't realise you were this much of a fan."

"Well, being the ruler of a nation has its perks." Henry answered. "When Phillipe told me Koda was coming, he was pretty quick to inform me he'd managed to get Jack out of retirement for one last match."

"Speaking of which, it looks like we're in perfect time." James said as a light jet taxied into the hangar. They all waited for it to come to a halt and the engines to stop before the door opened. They all watched as a group of people, the wrestlers from Koda's group, started to file out.

"Ladies, Gentlemen, welcome to Zandar." Henry greeted them. They all started to file out, collecting their bags, but as more and more came out, they started to notice something odd.

"Guys, where are Koda and Alessandra?" Riley asked. "Normally you can't get Koda off the plane fast enough."

"He doesn't even like flying in my Ptera Zord." Ivan agreed.

"Guys, there he is." James said, pointing him out. They all rushed over, trying to greet him. "Koda, you made it! How was the flight?"

He just brushed past them as he grabbed his bags and headed for the motorcade. Alessandra grabbed her bag, but looked to them.

"Sorry, he..." She just left to go after him.

"That was weird." Tyler said as the last person came off the plane. It was Carl "The Sadist" Johnson, retired professional wrestler and the head trainer and promoter for Koda's federation. He said his thank yous to the flight crew before stepping off the plane. He came to them.

"Carl, what's going on? What's with Koda?" Tyler asked.

"The big guy's just...he's upset." Carl told them. It was then that they noticed he was also somewhat out of sorts. He noticed Henry and addressed him with a respectful bow.

"What's going on?" He asked.

"Your Highness, I'm afraid I have some bad news." He told him. "Jack isn't going to be coming."

"What?" He asked. "What happened?"

"I'm afraid he...he had a stroke in his hotel room last night." Carl told him sadly.

"Dear God, I understand completely, I certainly hope he's alright..." He said, but Carl shook his head.

"I'm afraid not Your Highness." Carl told him. "He died in the early hours of the morning."

"I...I'm deeply sorry to hear that." Henry answered. "Of course I'll understand if you wish to cancel the show."

"No, we'll do it. Jack was always the first one to believe the show must go on." Carl told him. Henry just shook his hand.

"I appreciate your fortitude. I'm so sorry to hear about your friend." He told him. As he left, Tyler looked after Koda.

"Man, that's awful. No wonder Koda's so upset." Tyler answered. Carl breathed a deep sigh.

"You don't know the half of it." Carl told him. "Koda was the one that found him."

"Aw man." Was all that Chase could manage to say.

"Come; let's go back to the castle." Phillipe replied. "We can check on Koda there."

Back in the city, Calvin and Preston were quickly finding themselves overmatched. Although they had been up against strong opponents before, there was something very different about a human not just matching them, but in fact surpassing them in skill. They'd had their early days in training when Brody would throw them around, but he was always careful to pull his attacks to make sure he didn't do them any serious harm. Drakkon though had no such reservations. Preston felt like he'd been hit with a sledgehammer as Drakkon kicked him square in the ribs.

"This isn't going according to plan." Calvin commented.

"What plan is that?" Preston coughed.

"The plan where the bad guys go down and we walk away?" Calvin answered, pulling out his Power Star. "I say we kick it up a gear."

"Calvin, we can't!" Preston called out. "He's not a monster, he's just a dude!"

"Just a dude?" Drakkon asked, looking on them with disgust. "Do I LOOK like just a dude?"

"Preston, he's kicking our butts!" Calvin told him. "He already knows who we are, I say we pull out the big guns and go nuclear on his ass!"

"Alright, but only because we don't have...you know...another plan." Preston gulped as they readied their morphers. "NINJA SPIN!"

They both morphed, standing before Drakkon. He reached behind him.

"My my, escalating a battle. Zordon would not approve!" Drakkon taunted them, holding up a morpher. "Just remember, you were the ones that wanted this. BLACK DRAGON!"

In a burst of dark flame, he stood before them in a black outfit, with gold accents crossing his chest and a belt around his waist. A long cloak billowed out behind him. His helmet was black, with golden tiger stripes at the front and long crests rising from it. As Preston and Calvin readied their Ninja Swords, he pulled out a curved white sword with a jagged end like someone had snapped something off the pummel.

"Uh...Pres?" Calvin asked in a panic.

"What?" He asked.

"I'm starting to think this was a REALLY BAD IDEA!" Calvin stated as Drakkon rushed straight through them, like a locomotive hitting a rabbit. Their powers flared up and their suits disappeared as they flew into the walls, before hitting the ground unmoving. Drakkon walked over to Preston, who was unconscious, but barely breathing. He reached down, picking up his Power Star.

"Don't worry, you won't suffer for..."

He tailed off as he looked to the Power Star and analysed it for a moment.

"Ninja Steel? It's only made of Ninja Steel?" He asked, throwing it down in frustration. "Damn it! I'm too early! They don't even have the right ones yet!"

He sheathed his sword, before looking to the two Rangers lying on the ground.

"You got lucky today." He told them. "But soon, we'll meet again."

 **A/N:** What's this? Two chapters in ONE DAY? I guess I just got a bite from the muse! Hope this makes up for the hiatus a little.


	7. A Very Difficult Question

In Summer Cove, things were pretty quiet down at the precinct. The Rangers' final battle against Galvanax had now been some time ago, and so far no one had seen or heard from the Rangers. They had sent a recorded message to the press promising that they would be back if they were needed, but so far, no one had seen or heard a thing from them. There hadn't even been a sighting in days, and it looked very much like they were keeping their promise.

Most of the precinct saw this as a good thing. Summer Cove had been one of the lowest crime areas in the entire country never mind the state before the Rangers' battles with Galvanax began. While there had been a lot of the force deeply divided on their view of the Rangers, with many going so far as to actually attack them and try to bring them in, that viewpoint was losing a lot of support now. With things quietening down, many were just happy to have things back to normal and were of the view "out of sight, out of mind" when it came to the Rangers.

Trevor was uneasy about the fact they were gone. Not only did he personally feel that it wasn't enough that they simply said they "wouldn't do it again", but there was still the power inside him, the power he didn't really understand completely. The power of the Psycho Green Ranger was always there, just broiling under the surface, as though waiting for a reason to come forth. Of course, right now there wasn't really any reason for it to come out. Not when the most pressing matter on Trevor's desk was old lady Edward's missing bicycle which he was sure she would most likely find in her garage, but didn't have the heart to tell her she probably just forgot she moved it inside when it was raining last night.

He started looking through the bulletins for something, anything to get him some action. Unfortunately, they were largely blank. He could feel the impatience of the Psycho Green powers, looking for a reason to come forth, but since they didn't, he was starting to think that perhaps he now had the control he desired over them. After all, the one thing he couldn't dispute was that it was a powerful weapon, one that perhaps, he was starting to think, if he could harness…

His thoughts were interrupted as a piece of paper was slapped down in front of him. He looked up, seeing a familiar, smiling face.

"Look who just got his medical clearance!" Spike said cheerfully. It had now been some time since Spike was shot in the line of duty. He had been trying to talk down a suspect when one of the Rangers got involved. In a moment of panic the trigger was pulled and Spike paid the price. He was amazingly upbeat for a guy that had lost a few inches of colon to the ordeal, but Spike was one of those people that wanted to be a cop for all the right reasons and was just itching to get back on the streets. "What do you say we grab a cruiser and get out of here?"

"You're cleared?" He asked, picking up the letter and starting to read it.

"I've always been a pretty quick healer." Spike told him. "Come on Trev, let's get out of here! I've been cooped up in the precinct for ages now!"

Trevor was about to refuse, but he looked down the hall, seeing Sterling talking to some suits, before disappearing into her office. There was a lot of talk as to why she was still there. The Rangers were gone, the monster were gone, so many of them were wondering why she was still hanging around. Trevor of course knew. He'd gotten the dagger from her office. He'd only had it a short time and even he knew its power. Sterling was unlikely to go anywhere until she got it back and found whoever took it. He'd wondered if he could just return the dagger, leave it in her office and forget about it, but even when he was separated from it, he still felt the power within him.

"Alright, but call me Trev again and you're riding a desk until you retire." Trevor warned him, grabbing his jacket and heading out with Spike.

Over in Zandar, Calvin and Preston were being attended to in the castle. They'd been found in the streets by some passing strangers and had asked to be taken there. At first no one would believe they knew Phillipe, but by chance some of the guards were in the area and overheard the commotion.

"Well, there's no doubt about it, these two got really lucky." Kendall commented. "It's pretty clear if it wasn't for their powers, they would certainly be dead."

"That's one good thing at least." Hayley commented, taking Calvin's hand in a comforting gesture. "So what happened?"

"We were just on our way back to the castle after lunch." Calvin told them. "Then some guy attacked us. At first we thought it was some really unlucky mugger but then…"

"Yeah, I think it's fair to say this was not a mugger." Sarah chipped in. "Did he even say what it was about?"

"He just said he wanted our Power Stars." Preston told her.

"Well, that's hardly new." Hayley stated. "But we found your Power Stars."

"Yeah, that's the thing. Just before I passed out, I could swear I heard him say that they were the wrong ones." Preston told her. They all just stared at him.

"Wrong ones?" Chase asked. "Like…he wasn't after you but others on your team?"

"I don't know, I was kind of in and out." Preston stated.

"Who is this guy anyway?" Tyler asked them. Calvin and Preston just looked to each other.

"He did give us a name." Calvin told them. "Drakkon."

With the exception of Sarah and Hayley, everyone just stared blankly at them.

"So…he one of yours?" Riley asked.

"Kind of." Hayley explained. "We've never seen him or encountered him, we only heard the name."

"One of our bad guys brought up the name." Sarah told them. "We hadn't heard it before then, and we still had no idea who it was, but the way they said it, it was like…"

"They were scared of him?" Chase suggested. "That's not new, I mean the bad guys generally don't win loyalty with tea and cakes."

"Yeah, usually it's more like 'Do as I want or you'll be vapourised'." Shelby agreed.

"No, you don't get it. We've heard them talk with fear before when they were talking about Galvanax." Sarah replied. "This Drakkon guy it was something else, it was like…I don't know but…if I was to hazard a guess, if it was between pissing off Galvanax and this guy, they'd pick Galvanax every day of the week."

"I can see why." Preston answered. "I've only met this guy once and already I'm hoping that's the last time."

"Something tells me we're not going to be that lucky." Calvin stated.

"So that still doesn't explain one thing." Hayley said as she looked to Calvin and Preston. "Why did you two wander off on your own? Why didn't you go to pick up Koda with the others?"

"That…um…" Preston stammered a little. "That would be down to me."

"Preston?" Sarah asked.

"Guys, can you give us the room please?" He asked. The rest of the Rangers started to file out. "Cal, you too please?"

"Yeah, just ask the guy with three fractured ribs and a broken wrist to get out of bed." Calvin grumbled as he rolled out of bed and started to hobble out the door. He looked to Preston, before offering him a fist-bump. "Good luck man…OW…oh that was so not smart!"

As they left, Preston looked to Sarah. She could feel her chest beginning to tighten. She had been meaning to talk to Preston, to try and explain to him what she felt now that they had kissed. She was more than a little apprehensive about it all, and it wasn't hard to figure out why, but when he had been literally carried in, she had decided it was for the best that she have that discussion another time. She went to his side and he took her hand gently.

"Pres…"

"Sarah, there's something I really need to say, something I was coming to say to you before…well…all of this happened." Preston told her. "Now, it's going to be difficult to I want you to just listen and please, don't say anything until I'm finished alright?"

Sarah just nodded. Preston steeled himself to say what he had to say. He knew there was no easy way to broach the subject. It wasn't something he imagined many people wanted to hear, and he really hated the thought of hurting Sarah. He kind of felt a little glad about what happened with Drakkon now though. Maybe he could play on the sympathy card and get through this without Sarah lashing out at him too hard.

"Sarah, it's…it's about what happened between us." Preston told her. Sarah sighed and looked to him. "Look, we've known each other quite some time now and you are by far the most amazing, crazy and really fun person I've ever known."

Sarah felt her stomach churning as she heard him say this. He was building up to something, something big. She didn't know what would be crueler, saying what he wanted to hear just to make him feel better or telling him that she felt nothing for him beyond friendship. Looking at him now though, she was almost scared it would finish him off.

"If it hadn't been for you, I don't think I'd have done half the things I've done this last year." Preston told her. "Hell, I know for sure I'd never have been a Ranger. I've got so much to be grateful to you for and I would not trade one second of everything we've done for anything."

Now Sarah was really worried. She turned from him, biting on her hand, trying to stop herself saying something before he said something he couldn't take back.

"But…I…really don't want to be your boyfriend." He said awkwardly. Sarah turned and looked to him, completely stunned. He hated the look in her eyes, was she about to cry? Please don't cry! He couldn't bear it if she cried. He could take pretty much anything else. Screaming, swearing…even in his state if she hit him that would be better. "Don't get me wrong, you are my best friend and I don't want that to change at all, really I don't, but when we kissed…I didn't feel…I just…think…"

He was cut off as Sarah grabbed him in a tight hug.

"Whoa, what the…?"

"Preston, are you…are you serious?" Sarah asked him, parting from him a little way.

"Yeah?" He asked.

"Preston, I was feeling the exact same way!" She told him excitedly. "I mean, don't get me wrong I still think you are an absolutely awesome guy and everything but when we kissed it just felt so…"

"Weird." He offered.

"Yeah, and wrong!" She agreed. "Preston, I don't regret anything that happened, not for a minute, but I think we were happier, we were better off as…"

"Buds?" He asked.

"Buds!" She agreed. "So, what is it a fist bump? Or a high-five or…?"

"Are you kidding?" Preston asked, holding his arms open. "You give the most awesome hugs ever! What would my day be without one of those?"

"Well, you don't need to worry because unless I lose both my arms you're never going to have to find out." She answered as they embraced. "Thank you Preston."

"Any time." He answered.

Meanwhile, in Millport, Brody was putting Redbot together again, hoping that doing so would raise his spirits. They'd always promised Redbot he'd have a home on the Romero farm with them, but for a while now they'd been delaying putting him back together until the workshop was rebuilt. They didn't know how understanding the residents of Millport would be watching a big red robot walk around the farm, and knew he needed somewhere he could keep out of sight.

"Alright, if I just move this over here then…" Brody said, just as a spark came off. "Alright Redbot, give that a try."

Redbot started to stretch and bend his knee joint, before looking to Brody.

"You did an excellent job of that Brody." Redbot complimented him

"I still kind of wish Mick was here, but I think I did a pretty decent job." Brody answered. "So, now you've got a body and both your legs, I guess the next step is to get these arms…"

"Brody!" Tom rushed out as he came in. "Get Redbot out of sight!"

"We're still kind of in the middle of…"

"Brody, a whole bunch of the neighbours just showed up!" Tom told him. "Get Redbot in the cupboard or something!"

"Sorry about this Redbot." Brody said as he went to the cupboard, opening the door. Redbot just got up and walked into the cupboard.

"I really was hoping to get those arms today." He commented as Brody closed over the door. Brody headed outside with Tom, to where Levi and Dane were waiting, watching as a few trucks showed up. They watched as a whole bunch of the locals started to get out, carrying a variety of tools.

"Something I can help you with?" Dane asked. One of them approached him, carrying a hammer in his hand, something that Dane clocked right away. He was starting to wonder what his intention was.

"Word got around that you're fixing this place up." He said. Dane just nodded his head.

"That's right." He replied. The man smiled in response.

"Well you're going to need more than four people for a barn raising aren't you?" He asked. Dane then saw that the others were unloading a variety of other items. He knew that the Romeros returning as mysteriously as they had disappeared had caused a lot of whispers around town. He'd even had an uninvited guest at the farm he'd chased off, but for the most part they'd kept their distance. "So, do you want the barn the same place as the old one?"

"We figured we'd keep the place more or less the same as it always was." Dane answered. "You know…before it was abandoned for ten years."

"Alright folks, you heard the man!" He called out. "Let's get this thing up!"

Dane was at a loss for words as they all started to head towards the lumber that he and Levi had been starting to make up into a framework that would become the new workshop. Tom just chuckled.

"This is so much like home." He commented. "I guess these villages are the same all over."

"Yeah, I guess they are." Dane said with a smile. "Come on boys, these fine people are good enough to help us, pitch in a hand!"

Brody rushed to the truck belonging to the owner of the hardware store. He found Burt struggling to move a bucket. He went over to help.

"Here, I got it." Brody told him. It was a bucket of cement mix, which it seemed Burt was struggling with. He saw Burt wince a little as he shifted it, before Brody took it off him. "Say, are you OK?"

"I'm fine." Burt told him. "I just…fell."

"Fell?" Brody asked.

"Yeah, I was training for a marathon and I tripped alright?" He demanded. Brody just held up his hand defensively and backed away.

"Sorry for asking!" He commented as he walked away, casting a glance back.

"What's his problem?" Levi asked.

"That's what I'd like to know." Brody answered.

Back in Zandar, Kendall went to one of the guest chambers, knocking softly on the door. It was quite a while before she got an answer, but she could hear from the inside that there was movement. Eventually the door opened and Alessandra answered.

"Kendall, you come see Koda?" She asked. Her English, like Koda's, was getting a lot better, but it was still occasionally a little stilted and broken. Kendall just nodded.

"How is he?" She asked her.

"He very quiet, he not say much on flight." Alessandra told her. "He only really talk to discuss what we do in match."

"You're going to be in the match instead of Jack?" Kendall asked. Alessandra sighed and nodded.

"Carl ask we put on match for title." She explained. "Jack work with me a lot when I come here. I really want do well for him, make him proud."

"I'm sure you will." Kendall assured her. Alessandra allowed Kendall inside, before leaving the room herself. She figured it was probably for the best that she spoke to him alone.

Of everyone, Kendall had spent the most time with Koda. She'd been part of the team that discovered him in the glacier and she had studied him for some time before they began the Ranger project.

She saw Koda was at the table, looking over something. She came across, finding him with some of Jack's belongings, one of his old t-shirts and some of his old tights. She put a hand gently on his shoulder.

"I'm really sorry to hear about Jack." She told him.

"He wanted to come, say he loved idea of match in castle." Koda told her. "He tell me where he come from, Ireland, there lots of castles. He say he always love them as young boy."

"How are you feeling?" She asked him. Koda just shrugged.

"I not know how I feel." Koda told her honestly. "I sad that Jack gone, but…I not just sad. I feel…confused, feel angry at times, I…I sometimes feel like sometime soon Jack come in and ask why I sad."

"I know Koda, it's always a tough time." Kendall told him. "I know Jack meant a lot to you. I know he was a friend…"

"Jack more than just friend, he reason I am what I am today." He told her. "He teach me so much."

"I know this probably isn't the first time you've known anyone to die Koda." Kendall said, imagining what things must have been like in his time. Medical science didn't really exist in any recognisable way and conditions were such that mortality was just a fact of life. People probably got sick and died quite young on a regular basis, but she could see he was still taking it hard. She had seen how Koda identified with Jack, and in some ways, she saw him almost look on Jack as a surrogate father. "It's always alright to feel bad when its' someone we care about."

"I just…no understand." Koda told her. "Why he die?"

"Well, they said it was a stroke." Kendall told him. "What that means is something went wrong in his brain, that blood got blocked in it and didn't flow properly and when that happened…"

"Hospital already tell me that!" Koda snapped at her. Kendall was a little taken aback, Koda never spoke to her like that. "Why?"

"Well…unfortunately I really can't say." Kendall told him. "There can be any number of reasons these things happen, infection, injury…sometimes a person can just be unlucky. There's really no way of predicting things like this."

"But Jack fine until it happen!" Koda told her. "He better than fine, he excited, he working really hard, he get in good shape for match…he in better shape than a lot of the younger guys."

"He was in pretty good shape for his age." Kendall told him.

"Then why it happen?" Koda asked her with tears beginning to show in his eyes. "Why Jack die?"

Kendall gestured Koda in, hugging him tightly. She could understand his confusion. Jack may have retired from the ring, but he was still a trainer, and he still worked out. It had to be a surprise to a lot of people what happened. She knew it wouldn't bring Jack back to know the gory details of his stroke, but as Koda held her and wept, she thought maybe if he could hear some answers, it might help him understand why his friend was dead.


	8. Some Tough Answers

In Summer Cove, Skull was loving being out and about, back on the streets once again. Trevor found it uplifting to see him going about, greeting people, many of whom he knew by name despite only being in the job a short time before his injury. It was all too common to see neighbourhoods where people had very real reasons to dislike or be distrustful of law enforcement, but Spike seemed to have really found his stride here.

"Oh, thanks again for the strawberries with the get-well card Mrs Davis, they were scrummy!" Spike said as he walked away from an older couple he'd stopped to catch up with. He found Trevor with a smirk on his face. "What?"

"Only you could get shot and turn into a celebrity." Trevor chuckled. "That couple really sent you strawberries?"

"I got tons of well-wishes from a lot of the neighbourhoods." Spike told him matter-of-factly. "Knowing so many people wanted to see me back really lifted my spirits in some of the physio sessions."

"So, are you thinking of sticking around once your probationary period is up?" Trevor asked him. Spike just shrugged. Police fresh out of the academy were very often posted to places other than where they grew up or lived in order to prevent old friendships and affiliations creating conflicts of interest while they were learning the ropes. Spike's home and family were still in Panorama, while a few of his friends had migrated outwards to other places following graduation.

"I guess with preference I'd like somewhere closer to home, but I guess a lot depends on where the jobs are." Spike told him honestly. "Vicky's really loving her job back home, so unless she gets a promotion or something I guess I'd kind of like to go back if I can."

"You are such a cliché Spike, you know that?" Trevor teased him. "You're still with your High School sweetheart? I couldn't even tell you where my prom date lives now."

"Some people are just right for each other." Spike told him sagely as they rounded a corner into a public street. There, they found a large group assembled, chanting, waving signs and pumping fists in the air. They were huddled around a guy who was abnormally tall, meaning he either had legs which were one and a half times too long for his body or he was literally standing on a soap box. Spike just sighed. "And some people are just wrong for everyone."

"Tell me about it." Trevor groaned. The way people were starting to jostle and get worked up, it was clear that the message was reaching them, and that people were starting to get worked up. "Come on, we should check it out. This looks like it could get ugly."

As they approached, they could start to hear more of what was being said. It was getting people pretty riled up.

"...and this is what we've come to! Jobs are going to people that didn't even live here!" He called out. "We're not even just talking about a few people coming in from abroad; sometimes these people didn't even come from this planet! Way I hear it the production plant down the road just hired some of those Andresians!"

"They're good workers!" Someone from the crowd called out. The man just seemed to ignore this though.

"Public services are stretched to breaking point, people coming in, scrounging off the backs of hard-working Americans, claiming benefits that come right from your pocket!" He continued.

"So are they stealing jobs or not working and scrounging benefits?" Another called out. "Talk about a mixed message!"

"You might laugh, but when your children are sharing classrooms with people who don't share our values..."

"Oh put a sock in it you moron!" An old lady called out. "This town's always been mixed culture and that family that moved next door to me is lovely! Their kid mows my lawn every Saturday!"

There were a few more of these exchanges going back and forth. Spike and Trevor knew this was where there was potential for a flare up. It was bad enough when rallies had a lot of support, but when groups with strongly opposing points of view got together there was always the potential for things to get out of hand. Trevor indicated to Spike to head one way, while he went the other to get a better view of the whole crowd, trying to find if there was anyone that looked like they were close to their fill of reasoned debate. The man on the stage saw Trevor and pointed directly at him.

"And you see, you see what we have to put up with? My voice is being silenced! Silenced by the State because I have a different point of view..."

"How's your voice being silenced? You're literally standing on a public street with a bullhorn!" Trevor answered. "I'm just here to keep an eye on things; make sure things are nice and peaceful."

"Well, it's about time we had someone that was willing to stand up for the people in this area, to fight to keep things going the right way!" The man continued. Trevor just groaned and stared at him in a weary way. "A man who has fought for this nation and served this country, please welcome your next Senator, Richard Tracker!"

Trevor felt like he'd been hit with cold water when he heard the name. The man stepped down off the box, giving way to an older man, greying, wearing an expensive suit. Trevor felt his entire body tense up, and just stared as he saw him get up on the podium, taking the bullhorn.

"Trevor, things are starting to get a little heated here." Spike's voice came through the radio. "Trevor? Trevor?"

Trevor just turned and walked away, leaving the crowd behind. Spike saw this and tried to raise his attention, but seeing Trevor trudging away, he too abandoned the crowd and ran after him.

"Trevor, what happened?" Spike asked.

"No one's doing anything wrong." Trevor told him.

"But, people are getting..."

"It's called the First Amendment Spike!" Trevor snapped. "I don't like what that asshole is saying any more than you do, but until he breaks any laws he's entitled to say what he wants!"

"But..."

"Spike, he's already called us out! Our presence could enflame things more than walking away!" Trevor interrupted him, feeling his anger beginning to catch up to him. He could feel the power building in him. "Now, come on. There's a place near here that does great milkshakes."

"But..."

"I'm paying!" Trevor told him. Spike's face lit up.

"Ooh, milkshake!" He replied as he followed on.

Over in Millport, with the help of the locals, work on the new workshop was going brilliantly. They'd managed to raise the workshop and the shell was coming along nicely. Brody had filled a bucket with nails and was just guiding it up as Levi pulled it up with a rope so he could get work done on the roof. He stepped away from the project for a moment to get a well-deserved break, but he found Burt sitting on his own, right where they had left the lunch stuff. He came across.

"Mind if I sit down?" Brody asked. Burt just shrugged.

"It's your farm." He commented. Brody took a seat and picked up a bottle of water.

"This is going really great. We never expected all this help." Brody said as he panned his hand across the farm. "This place is going to look great."

"Whatever you say." Burt muttered. "Just seems like a farm where no one's actually a farmer seems like a waste of land."

"What happened to 'it's your farm'?" Brody asked. "My dad owns it; he can do what he wants with it."

Burt didn't answer. As someone else came across, gesturing for some water, he reached behind him, getting a bottle, but in the process it looked like he strained something. The look on his face seemed a lot like pain.

"So I heard you had a training accident." Brody stated.

"I took a spill training for the marathon." Burt said flatly. "It's no big deal."

"I'm just a little surprised." Brody told him. "Usually when I fall while running I skin my knees, but yours seem to be fine."

"I fell backwards alright?" Burt asked him.

"You know, I don't often fall backwards. When I do, it's usually because I've been hit or thrown." Brody told him. Burt just stared at him.

"What are you trying to say?" Burt asked him.

"Just...if someone's giving you trouble you could tell someone..."

"Look, I know you've not been around here in a long time, but no one ever gives me hassle!" He snapped. "I might hate this town, but I'm the local hero! People around here worship the ground I walk on!"

"I'm just saying..."

"You know what? You're worse than Brainiac!" Burt interrupted him. Brody just looked at him curiously.

"The Superman villain?" He asked.

"No, some annoying kid from my school who just...he...just...stay away from me!"

With that, he got up and stormed off into the woods. Brody just scratched his head.

"What was that all about?" He asked. Just then, he noticed his dad looking around, almost like he was making sure no one was watching before he slipped around the back of the house. Brody furrowed his brows and went to follow him.

Dane got there, and started to scan the ground. Brody could recognise the intensity of the glare, and the regular patterns of his movements. It was like he was searching for something. He was looking through the tall grass and around the back of the house, kicking leaves. Whatever he was looking for, it seemed like it was small.

"Dad?" Brody asked. "What are you doing?"

"Oh, I'm just...uh..." Dane stammered, starting to look for an excuse. He had managed to slip back into the house after the intruder had been scared off, but that meant he had to abandon his search for the diary. He still didn't know where it had ended up, and he was hoping to find it while everyone was paying attention to the workshop. "I was...looking for the keys to the truck. With the workshop raised we should probably get at least one coat of weatherproof paint on before nightfall."

"There's tons of paint." Brody told him, before pulling out the keys. "Also, last time I checked, the keys were in the truck. I know this place is out in the wilds a little, but that's still pretty bad security."

Dane just smiled and came towards Brody, taking the keys. The search for the diary would have to wait. He now didn't have an excuse.

"Come on, we should get back." Brody told him. "It's great of the town to offer to help, but I think the definition of 'help' implies we do some of the work."

"I guess you're right." Dane sighed, heading with his son back to the workshop. "Come on, let's get this finished."

Meanwhile, back in Zandar, things were continuing with the celebrations. Both the Summer Cove and Amber Beach teams were having a good time, albeit with Koda still not really in the mood to party, but he had finally come out of his room and was meeting up with the others. She smiled to see Sarah hugging him and introducing him to her team. He was, so far, the only member of the Amber Beach team that they hadn't actually met yet.

Kendall smiled to see him buoyed a little by the presence of his friends. It was just one of a series of unfortunate circumstances that Jack had died while he was abroad. Koda did travel a fair bit now in his career, but he always loved being back in Amber Beach and being around his family at the museum. That he was in another country when Jack passed, and so his friends weren't there at the time was just terrible luck. She even saw him smile once or twice as she talked with the others, especially Sarah, and listened to her tell him all about her latest adventures.

She heard a beeping and checked her cell phone, finding a text message. It instructed her to go to her computer. This was what Kendall was waiting for. She slipped out of the room, leaving the others quietly so as not to create much of a fuss. Getting to her room, she opened up her laptop. It didn't take long for her to connect the video chat.

"Terry, thanks for getting in touch with me." Kendall greeted him. Terry Watanabe was many things. Sister to Mia, for a short spell the stand-in Pink Samurai Ranger, but for just now, the most prominent thing was he was a doctor. He'd been a medical student when he was asked to stand in for Mia to cover her recovery from an injury, but in the time since then he'd managed to get his medical degree and had been working in Panorama City's most prominent hospital for a couple of years now. "I wasn't expecting you to find the time so soon."

"Hey, that Spandex isn't just a funky suit. It's a pledge to always be there for others. Whenever another brother or sister in the suit calls, we have to answer right?" He asked. Kendall just smiled and nodded.

"You know it. I've practically not been able to get Tommy off my speed-dial since my work on Koda's people was published." She answered. "He might love being a teacher but he's still a palaeontologist at heart."

"So, what can I do for you?" He asked. "Is one of your team hurt? Sick?"

"It's...a little more complicated than that." Kendall told him. "Koda, our Blue Ranger...someone he knows died recently. Very suddenly."

"I'm really sorry to hear that." Terry told her. "I'm not sure what exactly I can do though without knowing the details of the case..."

"Oh, right. I've been running a worm program on the hospital where he was admitted." Kendall told him. "Here, you should be getting the file right about...now."

Terry just stared open-mouthed at the screen for a moment.

"What? What is it? Do you see something?" She asked.

"Wow, they said you were good with the hacking stuff but...I wasn't expecting..." He started to say. "I could have asked them to transfer over the file but...yeah; I'm not sure how I feel about you accessing patients' confidential files."

"Jack didn't have any next of kin. Patient/Doctor privilege ended when he died." Kendall told him. "Trust me, I was doing some ethical soul-searching on this one too, but Koda's taking this so hard I thought this would be worth it."

"Alright, let's see what we have." Terry said, checking things out. "OK, a lot of this looks good, are you even sure this guy's dead?"

"Well if he isn't that autopsy would have been a bitch." Kendall sighed. "What are you seeing?"

"Well, I'm not going to say this guy had a particularly great lifestyle. I see a lot of scar tissue, a lot of bone re-modelling from multiple fractures across...a hell of a lot of years..."

"He was a professional wrestler." Kendall told him.

"Well that explains a lot." Terry told him. "Well, his systems all took a bit of abuse. It looks like his diet wasn't necessarily brilliant. He's definitely enjoyed his drink..."

"Jack took care of himself, but he did like his vices." Kendall replied. "I don't think anyone was under any doubt he liked his whiskey."

"Um...yeah, OK, this is something. His blood work..." Terry said, starting to look through it. "Oh man, this is a bit of a horror story. His blood work looks like a pharmacy."

"It is?" Kendall asked.

"I mean, there are some painkillers in there, sleeping pills, a few things for some other ailments, some blood pressure meds..." He said, rhyming them off. "Doses that are way higher than I've ever seen prescribed. If I didn't know any better I'd say he's been self-medicating for a long time."

"How long?" Kendall asked him.

"Years." He replied honestly. "Some of the doses are way higher than recommended, but it looks like his body's built some resistances. That's probably why he didn't end up in hospital a lot sooner."

"Steroids?" Kendall asked. Terry shook his head.

"I wouldn't be shocked, but no. It doesn't look like he was using." Terry told her. "Maybe he did, but not for many years. His system doesn't show any signs of it."

"So that build was all natural?" She asked. "Damn, that's impressive."

"Yeah, with the exception of his vices he did seem to take care of himself..." Terry said as his words tailed off. "Ah...um...right...OK...that's definitely something."

"What? What is it?" Kendall asked. "Did you find something?"

"Yeah, I'd say I've found something." Terry told her. "I'm putting a scan of Jack's brain on your screen."

"OK, what am I looking at?" She asked him. "I'm guessing this area highlighted is where the stroke took place?"

"Yeah, that's what did it." Terry told her. "But...well...I'm giving you a side-by-side. Here's a scan of a patient roughly Jack's age."

Kendall furrowed her brows as she looked at it.

"It's...definitely different." She stated. "I'm sorry, but neuroscience isn't my speciality."

"The dark areas show areas of damage, areas where there's been degradation of the tissue." Terry answered. Kendall gulped.

"Um...most of Jack's brain is..."

"Yeah, you spotted it." He told her. "Post-concussion syndrome."

"What?" Kendall asked.

"We're seeing it more and more sadly. We get a few servicemen and suchlike, but we tend to see it a lot among people that take part in contact sports." He explained. "Boxing, MMA, hockey, football, take your pick."

"So this was from the fact Jack had a concussion?" Kendall asked him.

"No, it's not that. It's a build up of damage that takes place from multiple concussions over time; especially when people don't take much time to recover afterwards." He explained. "The damage builds up and degrades, it affects a lot of the mental faculties...the sad fact is Jack's brain's been rattled around so much over the years it was...kind of a ticking time bomb. He just ran out of time."

"But if it's brain damage, wouldn't people have noticed?" Kendall asked.

"Well, it depends how close they were to him." Terry answered. "Looking at this, I'd have said I'd expect him to show symptoms almost reminiscent of someone a lot older than him. Memory issues..."

"Jack always was a little all over the place." Kendall confessed.

"...bouts of extreme emotion or aggression..."

"Everyone always said he was a bit of a moody bastard." Kendall sighed. "He did snap on people a few times, but most of those times it was related to the business."

"Kendall, if he's been like this for a while, it's possible some people, even his friends, just didn't realise how bad things were getting." Terry told her. "I'm sorry to say this, but it looks like the abuse Jack took in his career, all the hits to the head, all the bumps...it just finally caught up to him."

"Good grief, I am not looking forward to telling the others this." Kendall sighed.

"The good news is we're learning more about the long-term effects of head trauma every day. A lot of sports companies and suchlike are taking recommendations on how they can take care of their athletes and make their businesses safer." Terry told her. "I've got some studies from a few sources your friends can look at if you think it'd help."

"Thanks Terry." Kendall answered. "Say Hi to Serena for me."

"I will." He told her. "Kendall...I wish this conversation had been under better circumstances."

"So do I." Kendall replied as she signed off, awaiting the e-mail from Terry covering everything they had just discussed, all the time trying to think how she could tell Koda that the thing Jack had loved had been what had killed him.


	9. Jack's Legacy

In Summer Cove, Trevor was sitting, watching as Spike slurped his way through his second large milkshake since they had arrived, while he had a massive burger and fries waiting for him. Trevor had opted for a simple tuna melt and only one milkshake. He just shook his head.

"You know, most people lose some of their appetite when they lose some of their stomach." He commented. Spike just shrugged.

"I have to keep my strength up." He mumbled through some fries. "You were right, this milkshake is the BEST!"

"Yeah, definitely the best in the city." Trevor agreed. "I remember the first time I came in here, I couldn't believe places like this existed outside of Riverdale comics. No one makes real malt shops like this anymore. It's kind of sad in a way."

"Yeah, I guess it is." Spike agreed. "So many of the places that are getting built now just have no character, no…je ne sais quoi. I eat in one of the new places now and it's like, I could be in Panorama, Amber Beach, Mariner Bay and I honestly wouldn't know the difference."

"Wow, I really never expected to hear that from someone your age." Trevor chuckled. "I thought you were firmly generation Xerox."

"Are you kidding? My dad and my uncle used to own Bulkmeyer's in Stone Canyon. A Ranger themed restaurant that had a pool, tropical fruit smoothies, barbecue…you name it!"

"That sounds wild! What happened to it?" Trevor asked. Spike sighed.

"They sold it to Olive Garden." Spike told him. "I mean, they got seven figures apiece for it. Uncle Bulk pretty much retired on his check and my dad used his to start his businesses but I don't know, I think something was lost when they closed that place. I still remember that was where my mom taught me to swim."

"Sounds like it would have been my kind of place." Trevor replied. "Hayley loves this place. It's one of the few places that'll let her bring Kody in."

"That's right, she's away right now isn't she?" Spike asked him. "How's she liking Zandar?"

"From the number of pictures she's sent I'd say she likes it just fine." Trevor laughed. "When she comes back it'll be Aaron's turn to have her, so the house is going to be a fair bit quieter for the foreseeable future."

Just then, he seemed to stop laughing quite suddenly. Spike noticed the shift in his mood and turned around. He saw the same suits from the rally entering behind him.

"Oh great, those assholes." Spike remarked.

"You nearly done?" Trevor asked him. Spike just looked to him.

"Just because they're here doesn't mean we have to leave." Spike told him. Trevor looked like he wanted to disagree, but he settled into the seat, almost like he was willing Spike to hurry up and finish. Spike didn't like what the aspiring senator had been saying in the slightest, any more than Trevor had, but he was starting to think that his partner was taking things personally, which really wasn't like him. Spike shovelled in the last mouthful of his burger and gulped down the last of his milkshake so quickly he was amazed he didn't choke and his head felt like it was being split in half with an axe made of ice. They gathered their things and started to head for the door.

"I'm telling you the polling numbers aren't as good as we want here." One of the advisors told the politician. "The people around here aren't picking up what you're putting down."

"Hey, you there! Officer!" One of the suits called over as Trevor was about to leave. Trevor paused for a moment, before turning around and starting to head back toward the table.

"Anything I can do for you gentlemen?" Trevor asked.

"You two, you were at the rally weren't you?" He asked in response.

"Yeah, we were there." Spike answered.

"Shame you didn't stick around." The suit stated. "That mob started to get a little wild."

"Yeah, and I believe that's what you're for." Trevor said, gesturing to the suits. "When we left everyone was well within their legal rights, and there was no reason for us to be there so we left."

"So it'd have been fine with you if someone…"

"Did anyone do anything to you?" Trevor interrupted him.

"Well…no but…"

"Then I think everything worked out just fine." Trevor answered. The suit didn't look at all impressed with this answer.

"I want your badge number!" He demanded.

"WHAT?" Spike shrieked. "You're going to make a complaint? You were the ones whipping up…!"

"Certainly, that's your right to ask, here you are." Trevor said, handing over his badge. The man was about to take down his credentials when Tracker took the badge from him.

"That's quite alright, I'm sure we don't have to make this official." He said, looking to Trevor and Spike. "So, I take it you're not fans of what I have to say."

"Not particularly." Trevor said honestly. "Of course, that's really neither here nor there. Since no one at your rally committed any offences, anything else is really none of my business."

"You…I know you don't I?" He asked. Spike could almost swear he heard a low growl coming from Trevor, before he forced a smile.

"I'm sorry, I don't think so." Trevor stated, retrieving his badge. "I just have one of those faces."

"I'm sure I could have sworn…"

"No, I think you've definitely made a mistake." Trevor interrupted him. "Now, if there's nothing else…?"

"Oh, no of course, on you go officer…?"

Trevor didn't answer, instead turning and walking away.

"HEY!" One of the suits called after him. "You show some respect! He was talking to you…?"

"He has the right to say what he wants, what the First Amendment DOESN'T do is guarantee you an audience!" Trevor stated.

"What's that meant to mean?" Tracker asked.

"It means I don't have to listen!" Trevor put down flatly. "Good day General."

As he left, Spike followed him, more than a little confused and worried about the whole thing. Tracker stared after him thoughtfully.

"General?" One of his aides asked. "No one's called you that in years."

"I'm sure it's nothing." Tracker stated. "Alright then, what's next on the agenda?"

Meanwhile, in Zandar, Kendall had called the team to a room to discuss what she had learned from Terry. She had downloaded a whole lot of information from the internet relating to head injuries, and Terry had provided a whole lot of material as well. Kendall had been an academic for so long she really didn't know much better a way to tell them all what Terry had told her than to do a kind of presentation. She was pretty quick to put together a Power Point presentation. The others had known Kendall for long enough that this didn't really seem like a particularly odd way to address the issue.

To say the presentation was detailed was an understatement. She'd shown them brain scans, reports, charts, statistics, more than the average person probably ever wanted to know about brain injury. Alessandra held Koda's hand as he listened to Kendall explaining in depth what had happened. Even though it pained her to look at his face as she talked about the decline in his health, the masking of numerous health issues through self-medication, his mood swings, the decline in his memory and mental faculties, she really didn't know another way to make sure he understood. She got to the end, taking a deep breath.

"So, does anyone have any questions?" She asked. The room was quiet for a little while, before finally Shelby tentatively put up a hand.

"So…you're saying Jack was hit in the head one too many times?" She asked.

"That's a very simplistic way to put it." Kendall stated. "It's like…every time his head was hit, it was like a mini car crash. It caused some damage, but instead of repairing as it should, because he was still taking hits, the damage started to build up. As time went by and that damage built up and started to degrade, eventually it just…caught up with him. I believe that a blood clot from one of the affected areas just moved and…sadly…"

"That's what killed him." Calvin said as he tried to piece it all together. Koda understandably wasn't taking this well. Jack was a lot more to him than just a friend, he was like another father figure to him in this time.

"You say Jack show signs." Koda asked. "That mean…he could have been saved? I could have…?"

"No, Koda, that's not…" Kendall said regretfully, trying to think of how best to put it. "Jack was…well…by the time you knew him he'd been wrestling for decades. He'd been building up this damage all that time."

"But you say he show signs, he forget things, he swing mood…"

"Jack always forgetful. He never good with names. He hardly ever get my name right when I meet him." Alessandra reminded Koda. "He always call you 'kid'. He also always grumpy. I know him longer than you and he always grouch."

"The sad fact is Koda, I really don't think anything could have been done." Kendall said to him honestly. "I really think a lot of the signs were just missed because people were so used to it they didn't notice. I also don't know if there was anything that could have been done because a lot of the damage had already been done."

"Wait, here's a worrying thought. It's not like we haven't been knocked around a few times." Chase said as he thought about it. "I mean, I know the powers protect us and we do heal up faster and stuff but…it's not like none of us haven't had our bells rung pretty good. Should we worry?"

"Dude, totally that's…that's a scary thought." Preston said. "What about it Dr Morgan?"

"I…don't necessarily think so." Kendall told them. "Yes, we've all been to the hospital once or twice, but in general the powers have protected us really well…."

"Yeah, but what about those of us who were hurt when we DIDN'T have powers?" Shelby asked. "I seem to remember you having issues with a concussion before you became the Purple Ranger."

"You did?" Sarah asked.

"Well, I wouldn't say…"

"She face-planted into her soup after she checked herself out of hospital." Shelby said, recalling the incident. "I remember finding her on the floor of her office…"

"Oh no, Kendall be alright?" Koda said, becoming noticeably agitated. This was precisely the kind of thing she didn't want.

"Koda, I'm fine!" She insisted. "The problem wasn't one concussion, it was numerous concussions building up over time. But, I think going forward, it might be an idea for us to be aware of warning signs to look out for. Red flags to keep an eye out in behaviour and suchlike. Also, more than one Ranger has ended up getting a medical licence so it might not be a bad idea if we all start taking care of ourselves, getting check-ups every now and then to make sure that everything stays…well…alright."

"I miss Jack." Koda stated. Kendall went to him, taking his hand softly.

"I know you do." Kendall told him. "But, I've already had a word with Carl and I've explained what happened, and he's agreed to institute a wellness policy at his company. He's going to announce it to the guys before the show and explain some changes he's going to make to try and prevent this happening again."

"Big guy, I know this is hard to take, but think of it this way." Tyler said, looking to Koda. "Jack died in a business that he loved, he was happy for the most part. Maybe if we take some lessons from that, then what happened to him won't have happened for nothing."

"Yeah, and just think, if he gets us all taking care of ourselves too, then he'll have helped save the world in his own way." Hayley offered. "The people that protect the planet will learn to protect themselves a little better out of this."

"I miss Jack. I always miss Jack." Koda said, processing it all. "I want to talk Carl. Want to dedicate show to Jack. Maybe give some of money to…um…"

"Head injury research charities?" Kendall asked, seeing him struggling to find the words. Koda just nodded. She smiled. "I think Jack would have liked that very much."

"I'll speak to my father. I'm perfectly certain the Royal Family can make a contribution." Phillipe added. "In the meantime, if everyone is feeling up to it, perhaps we should…?"

He tailed off as he also found it difficult to say anything else. It was his wedding, and so it was natural he wanted to focus on that, but at the same time, Jack was a friend. He didn't want to make it seem like he was just sweeping aside what had happened for his own festivities. Koda took a deep breath, wiped his eyes and stood up.

"We have party. Jack like good time." Koda declared. "We still think of Jack, but do so in way that make us happy."

"I think he like that very much." Alessandra answered, leaning over and kissing Koda's cheek.

Meanwhile in Millport, work on the workshop was all but complete. With the whole town helping, it hadn't taken anything like as long as they had originally thought it would to put the new workshop up, and at least one coat of weatherproof paint had been applied. Although they'd have loved the others to stay and finish, the Romeros knew that they also had their own lands to attend to. Dane was just finishing thanking them all.

"I promise, next time I'm in town, a round in the tavern is on me." He assured them all. Dane didn't drink himself, but he was more than certain that offer would not go amiss in Millport. It was a pretty cheap repayment for a full day's work from a whole town. Levi, Tom and Brody all waved them off as they got into their trucks and left.

"Man, I still can't believe they did that." Levi commented. "I was sure they'd all still think this place was cursed or something."

"Maybe they just wanted to see it for themselves." Brody suggested. "I mean, we are kind of a curiosity around here."

"You're all overthinking it. It's just country community." Tom stated. "Believe me, back home stuff like this happened all the time."

"Yeah, but even when we were here the last time, we weren't exactly social." Brody reminded them. "We only went into town…"

"If there's one thing I know about places like this it's that you don't pick the community, it picks you." Tom said, slapping Brody on the back. "You're a part of it whether you want to be or not."

"Yeah, and some people don't." Brody stated. "I don't know what that Burt kid's problem is but he just seems mad at everything."

"So he's a teenager that hates his home town, big whoop." Levi replied. "He wants to carry a chip on his shoulder that's his problem. Odds are in a few years he'll never imagine wanting to leave."

"I don't know, he seems pretty…I don't know." Brody told him. "He said I reminded him of some kid at his school, someone he kept calling 'Brainiac'."

"Brody, he's a jerk." Levi told him. "He's probably always been a jerk, and he's probably always going to be a jerk. Sometimes people are just like that. All you can do is live your life and let him be miserable in his."

"I guess so." Brody said, though he wasn't really convinced. He didn't know why, but something about Burt bothered him. "Anyway, are you guys alright to do the rest of the painting on the barn? If I head inside now I could have Redbot fully rebuilt by lights out, and he can help us set up the workshop."

"Well, while you guys handle that, I think I'll head into town and pick us up some dinner." Dane told them. Levi just watched Dane go to the truck while Brody headed inside. He looked to Tom.

"You notice how even though we're the ones who don't live here somehow we always get left with the work?" Levi asked. Tom just laughed.

"Come on." He told him. "We should be able to have at least one more coat done before your dad gets back."

Over at the Marx house, Trevor arrived home after a long day, finding the house empty. It seemed like his wife wasn't home yet, no doubt still at the office. As he hung up his jacket, he opened his gun safe, unloading his pistol and clearing it, before locking it inside.

He picked up the remote and turned on the TV, not really caring what was on, before heading to the kitchen and opening the fridge. He looked out a beer.

"Long day." He commented as he opened it, before heading through to the Living Room. He took one look at what was on, before grimacing and turning the channel.

"As if forensics ever worked that fast…or made things that simple." He grumbled. "Reality TV? That's more scripted than a bad soap opera!"

He finally settled on some random car chase movie, finding it to be the right intellectual level for his fatigued mind. He didn't even know what it was, just a bunch of brightly coloured, 'pimped out' street-racers performing feats of driving that defied even the most basic laws of physics. He was just settling in to watch when he heard the phone. He reached over, picking it up.

"You've got Marx, who is it?" He asked.

"Oh, I think you know who it is." The voice on the other end said.

" _Yes, you know who it is."_ He heard the voice of Psycho Green saying inside his head. Trevor tried to push it to the back of his mind.

"I'm sorry, I think you've got…"

"It took me a moment you know." Tracker told him. "I tried to place the face, figure out where I'd seen you before. I'm almost a little disappointed it took so long."

"I'm sorry, you have me at a loss." Trevor stated.

" _Coward."_ Psycho Green hissed. _"You know him."_

"We're a long way from Afghanistan Marx." Tracker told him. "It's been a long time."

" _He knows."_ Psycho Green told him. Trevor felt the anger building in him. His grip on the phone tightened.

"I'm afraid you have a wrong number." Trevor told him. "Don't call here again."

"You called me General. That was what tipped me off." Tracker told him. "It's been a long time since anyone called me that."

"Fine, what do you want?" Trevor demanded angrily.

" _He wants to break you like he did before."_ Psycho Green told him. _"Break him first!"_

"I want you to know that I fully intend to run for this district, and I intend to win." Tracker told him. "And I don't expect you to cause me any more trouble!"

" _He's the enemy!"_ Psycho Green whispered. _"He deserves no mercy!"_

"Trouble?" Marx demanded. "You should have been up before The Hague for what you pulled!"

"That's not what my supporters believe." Tracker told him. "Now, I'm not planning to make any trouble for you…IF you don't make any for me!"

" _He's lying!"_ Psycho Green hissed. _"He'll destroy you if you get in his way! Destroy him first!"_

A part of Trevor wanted to just tell him that he would do as he said, just stay out of his way and not speak to him or cross paths with him again. If he was honest, he would have preferred never seeing or hearing of the man again. However, now he was here, now he was in the life he'd managed to make for himself since everything had fallen apart, he couldn't bring himself to just submit to him.

"DON'T call here again!" Trevor demanded, before slamming down the phone.

" _This isn't the end…you know it can't be."_ Psycho Green whispered to him. Trevor turned up the TV, trying to drown him out as he sipped his beer.


	10. Don't Push

The following morning, things were very lively over in Zandar. It was now the eve of the wedding, but there wasn't going to be a ball or a lavish dinner or anything of the likes. Zandar had a long tradition of holding a large sporting event the day before a State Wedding. It dated back to the Principality's founding when they would generally hold a tourney in honour of the future monarch on the eve of the wedding. Needless to say jousting was no longer really a popular sport there, but the intent had remained the same, with some form of sporting event taking place depending largely on the taste of the current monarch. On this occasion, because Phillipe's father had been a huge fan of Jack's, they had decided to go for Zandar's very first wrestling event.

Despite Zandar's relatively low profile on the international scene, there was a pretty fair following there thanks to the advent of satellite television and internet streaming. Many people were already getting excited at their first live experience of performers they had only ever seen on screen, all coming to honour their future ruler and his bride to be.

The wrestlers were already at the castle, though it was a somewhat more sombre gathering than they were used to. Only days before most of them had been in Tokyo with Jack before he passed. Most of them knew him, and a great number of him liked him, though all of them respected him. Carl had called an early meeting to address the elephant in the room so to speak.

"Alright, we all know what this is about. We all lost a good man the other day. Jack was the reason a lot of us are where we are today." Carl began sadly. "I've known him a long time, and I'm honoured to have called him a friend for many years. It's with that in mind that I'm planning to dedicate the show in his memory."

There was a small applause from the crew, who all approved of the decision. Carl readied himself for the next part.

"On a related matter, effective immediately I'm instituting a wellness policy. I've sent you all a detailed e-mail that goes through exactly what we're looking for. I want to be very clear on this, I do not want to bury another friend this way so from now on, I want us all to take care of each other. This business is dangerous enough without us making it any more dangerous for each other."

He knew it was a pretty bold move. Not because a lot of people didn't understand why he was changing how they did things, but just because it would mean a lot of people would have to seriously re-think how they worked. Most of the guys that worked for him were independent workers who would work for many federations on a per-appearance basis. The business as a whole hadn't necessarily moved towards such measures and companies varied greatly in how much responsibility they took for the wellbeing of the wrestlers, with many taking virtually no responsibility whatsoever.

"We'll be having a ten-bell tribute at the beginning, and then we'll begin, which brings me to my next point." Carl told them. "I've already talked to the Royal Family and they understand how upset a lot of you will be right now. You're under no pressure so if anyone feels they're unable to work tonight, now's the time to speak up."

Carl was buoyed by the fact that no one raised their hand or spoke up. While it would have been understandable if one or two of them decided they didn't feel like working so soon after Jack's death, it seemed like they were all very much of the same mindset as Koda on the subject. The best way to honour him was to go ahead and put on the show. Carl went to the list.

"Thank you all for that. I'm sure Jack would be proud." The told them. "Alright, now on to the running order for the night…"

In Summer Cove, Trevor was getting ready for work. He was in the middle of breakfast, in a world of his own as his wife was talking about her work. Normally he was a pretty good listener, but right now, he couldn't really concentrate. He was lost very much in his own thoughts. He finally looked up as he heard her voice getting louder.

"Trevor! Have you been listening to a word I said?" She demanded. Trevor just stared at her for a moment.

"Yeah, sounds like you had a busy day." He said, attempting to make it sound like he had heard what she was talking about. The glare he got in response told him he had missed the mark.

"Aaron's ship is coming into the pier at one today." She reminded him. "I've got meetings at that time so I was hoping you would go and pick him up."

"Oh…right, I'm sure I could swing by." Trevor replied. Aaron was Hayley's birth father, and his wife's ex. Despite the divorce, they were still quite cordial, and had a pretty amicable relationship all in. Aaron was a marine biologist and had been at sea on a study now for some time. He would be bringing back a lot of luggage and equipment and he'd had trouble in the past getting cabs that would agree to load it all up for him. She didn't want him to be stranded on the pier longer than he needed to be.

"Good. That's better." She told him. She noticed how quiet he was and looked to him a little worried. "Trevor, is everything alright?"

"Huh?" He asked.

"You're kind of a million miles away." She explained as she put a hand on his shoulder. "Did you sleep alright? Was it more nightmares?"

Trevor tried not to burden his family with his problems, but it was pretty much impossible with his wife considering they slept in the same bedroom. His military service had left him with a lot of bad memories that would come back to him at times. He knew a great many people who had come back a lot worse, but that didn't mean he hadn't had the occasional panic attack or woken up in terror a few times. He wasn't sure how much Hayley knew. He liked to think he kept her from worrying about him, but his wife was always there for him. He loved that about her, even if he did feel a little badly about the occasional night of lost sleep.

"No, it's nothing." Trevor lied. "Just…thinking about something that happened at work. Just a case I've been working on."

"Well, as long as you're sure you're alright." She said, not sounding entirely convinced, but he could see the way she was checking her watch and knew she was keenly aware of the time and the fact she needed to be at the office. "Just remember, one o clock…"

"At the harbour." Trevor answered. "I'll remember."

As she left, he went to get himself a re-fill of his coffee. He hated lying to his wife, but she was already so understanding about the nightmares and the panic attacks, he wasn't sure how much more he wanted to, or even could put upon her. After all, how exactly did someone tell their wife that an alien entity living within them was stirring, energised by the emergence of a war criminal that had almost ruined his life once before?

In Millport, Brody was just putting the finishing touches on Redbot. With the workshop now built, all that remained was to set it up. Dane had planned to put the forge back in there, to give them a space to work on the Ninja Super Steel once they tracked down the asteroid that had crashed to Earth following the battle with Galvanax. Of course now that they had kind of offered to let the school finally get their paint room back, they were also planning to set up a section of it as a Command Post for the search. They still had their old computer equipment and with Redbot's help Brody was sure he'd be able to turn at least part of it into a workable lab.

"How's that feel?" Brody asked him.

"It feels considerably better." Redbot told him, flexing one of his legs, checking the movement in it. "It really feels good to have feet again."

"Yeah, I'm sorry it took so long to put you back together." Brody replied apologetically. He noticed Levi coming in, checking himself in the mirror. He appeared to be humming as he checked out his appearance. "Levi? What's going on?"

"Oh, nothing. I just need to go out today." Levi told him. "Unlike all you school kids, I don't get to just turn up on the day the holiday ends. I actually need to put in some work on lesson plans."

"Really?" Brody asked. "And…who are you doing these lesson plans with?"

"What's that meant to mean?" Levi asked him.

"Well, you haven't shaved the rest of the time you've been here but you have today." Brody said, inspecting him. "And…since when do you wear cologne to the school?"

"Brody, we've virtually rebuilt a whole farm in record-breaking time." Levi reminded him. "Excuse me if I'm just taking a little…overdue attention to personal grooming."

"So you're going to the school?" Brody asked him.

"Wow, you worked that one out?" Levi asked sarcastically. "So, do you want to come to the rest of your classes or should we just give you your diploma now?"

"So who else is going to be there?" Brody asked with a sly grin.

"Other teachers." Levi told him. "Like I said, we don't get to just turn up when the holiday ends. All those materials and things you kids use without thinking about? Magical fairies don't come in and set all that up for you."

"Other teachers huh?" Brody asked with an irritating little look on his face. Levi just rolled his eyes, picking up his hat and putting it on his head.

"You need to show some respect for your teachers." Levi warned him. "I may be your brother but I can still give you detention!"

As Levi left, Brody turned back to Redbot.

"So, do you feel ready to set up your new home?" Brody asked.

"Ready, willing and able." Redbot answered.

Over in Summer Cove High, Levi arrived, finding the other teachers starting to come in with their supplies and paperwork for the new semester. One of the common misconceptions about teaching was that because school kids got so many holidays over the year, between in-service days, comparatively long breaks between semesters and suchlike that teachers got the same. That combined with a "short" school day meant a lot of people thought that teachers had a very easy job or had very easy hours, however nothing could be further from the truth. Long before the kids came back, the teachers had to be in to prepare for the new semester. Not only did they have to have their lesson plans in to be approved by the department in good time so they could make amendments where necessary, hear any new curriculum points that needed to be added and suchlike, not to mention all the work such as marking and assignments they took home, often teachers worked a lot longer than people realised.

"Man it's good to be back!" Levi declared with a bright smile as he looked around the hallway. He'd never given much thought to coming back to High School. He'd already graduated, and he only got a teaching diploma as a fall-back for if his singing career ever faltered or if he felt like taking a break from it for a while, but he never really foresaw using it now during the height of his career. Circumstances might have brought him to the school and caused him to take a job that…bizarrely enough, he now realised Madame Odious, disguised as Principal Hastings had encouraged him to take as a cover so that no one thought it was odd an adult would hang around a school all day, but in that time he'd actually found himself enjoying this time here.

"Speak for yourself!" Someone muttered, brushing past him. Levi didn't say anything. He knew that not everyone was as pleased to be back.

"Ignore him, he's probably still hung over from the holiday." Mrs Finch stated. Levi just nodded.

"It sure smells like it." Levi answered. "I thought he was getting a job in Stone Canyon."

"Oh, he certainly applied." Mrs Finch stated. "He's been sending out CV's like machine gun fire. I'd like to say he's the only one. A lot of the teachers were trying to get out of town with the attacks."

"I suppose I can understand that." Levi conceded regretfully. Although the attacks had now stopped, there were still a lot of people and areas of the town struggling to recover. There were some who were convinced that it wasn't yet over and wanted to get the hell out before they started up again. Others wanted to cut their losses and start somewhere else, while others were forging ahead, hoping to rebuild the town they loved, almost as an act of defiance, to spite those that tried to take what they loved. "Did you apply anywhere?"

"If I'd seen one of those monsters, I'd have told them the same thing I told Mr Finch when he tried to take the house in the divorce." She replied with a smirk. "This is my home, you want me out of it, you can drag me out when I'm cold and stiff!"

"You know, I almost forgot how feisty you were." Levi beamed brightly as they headed to the main reception. Principal Hastings was there to greet the returning teachers.

"Alright, thank you all for coming in, I know we have a lot to do but I'll try to keep this as informal as possible." She announced. "First of all, thank you to all of you who are returning. I know this past semester has been very trying here and we've certainly seen more than our fair share of hardships, but we're all hoping that this semester things will be a little bit quieter."

She gestured to some boxes in the corner.

"Thanks to some generous benefactors, a lot of our supplies, many of which have been damaged across the last year…and surprisingly not all of them by Victor and Monty…are being replaced. I've already arranged them so take a look and see if there's a nice little surprise for your department."

Levi smiled as the teachers finally had something to be cheerful about. He knew indirectly through Mick, that the 'benefactor' was most likely Hastings herself. She didn't advertise the fact but she came from an old-money family that had at one time owned most of the city. Having no interest in the business herself she had sold out most of it to the Tiens. Teaching really was a passion for Principal Hastings and with the exception of keeping herself comfortable, the money was more valuable to her as a way of ensuring the school had what it needed.

"Finally, I'm pleased to announce that the shop class finally has its paint room back." She told them. "We've had the compressor rebuilt so now the students should be able to spray their projects. Which brings us on to our one sad piece of news. I'm sorry to say but as of this time, Mr Kanik is on sabbatical."

"Sabbatical?" One of the teachers asked. "He's a shop teacher, he spends all day goofing around with spanners, what does he have to take a sabbatical FROM?"

Principal Hastings didn't seem to take that too kindly. Levi could understand why. It wasn't like she could tell anyone that Mick had gone to another galaxy to take part in a war to return the deposed ruler who had until the end of the previous term been posing as one of the students to the throne. He also knew that she cared deeply for Mick, and while the Rangers missed him terribly and hoped one day he would at least be able to send word to them to tell him how he was, that he meant a lot more to her.

"At this time!" She said a little loudly, silencing the other teacher. "We have not heard from Mr Kanik about his intention to return. For the time being we will keep his position open and will use honour students and temps to fill in, but we hope to hear from him soon regarding whether or not he will return. Needless to say we all wish him the best."

There was a small murmur among them and a polite applause. Despite the bad joke, Mick was pretty well liked among the staff. He was a little strange and he was certainly different, but he was always cheerful. He had a good rapport with the students and he was always happy to help the teachers and the other staff whenever they needed help with anything. Principal Hastings picked up a few large folders.

"Alright, now onto the final item of business, the one that's always fun." She said with a slightly sarcastic tone in her voice. "Dividing up responsibility for the extra-curricular clubs. I know, I know, it's always a chore but we all know it has to be done. Now, this year we all have to pick at least two clubs to oversee, so the folder are here, pick them how you will."

"I'd rather play Russian Roulette with a full gun." One of them muttered.

"Oh come on, it can be fun!" Mrs Finch declared, bounding over to the files enthusiastically and looking through them. "Alright, first we have…a LARP group."

"LARP? What's that?" Levi asked.

"Oh, you know, it's a gaming group! Live Action Role Play!" She told him.

"What, like Dungeons and Dragons and stuff?" He asked.

"Well…yes, but instead of playing with pieces on a board the players all get dressed up and act out the parts themselves!" She told him. "It's kind of like improvisational theatre and gaming combined! Pretending to be knights, wizards…"

"You know…that doesn't sound too bad actually." Levi said, reaching out for it. "Yeah, I'll take that!"

"Alright magic club…oh, I wonder who suggested that one?" She asked sarcastically. "Any takers?"

In another part of the city, Trevor was heading into the harbour. Spike got out and looked around, taking in a big, deep breath.

"Man, I love the smell of fish!" He said cheerfully. "It really reminds me of home!"

"Aaron's ship is just over there." Trevor told him.

"If the ship's in what's taking him so long?" Spike asked.

"Knowing Aaron he's probably tangled up in customs." Trevor said, rolling his eyes. "I'll see if I can speed this along. You stay here."

"Hey, no problem!" Spike replied as Trevor left, going to one of the fishing trawlers. "Hey, don't let the uniform scare you, is that your over-catch? Cause if it is I'll take some off your hands! It's been ages since I made clam chowder!"

Trevor meanwhile headed through, looking for the customs checkpoint. Since the ship had come in from international waters, Aaron and his crew would have to clear customs to ensure they weren't bringing anything back that they weren't meant to. Aaron was about as far from a smuggler as anyone could get. He was obsessed with the ocean and all the life in it. He was the kind of guy that could tell you the scientific names of over a hundred different species of shrimp but needed his ex-wife to text him to remind him when his daughter's birthday was coming up. He wasn't a bad man by any chalk. He genuinely loved Hayley, and he was always there for her when it counted but his devotion to his studies did sometimes mean he neglected some of the little things. It was just one of the reasons his marriage ended.

As he was heading to the customs station though, he found his way blocked by two men in suits. He just let out a breath of exasperation.

"Seriously?" He asked.

"Mr Tracker…"

"Mr Tracker and I already spoke." Trevor interrupted the man.

"Yes, but he said you weren't too clear." The other man replied. "He was hoping for some assurances about the…unpleasantness…"

"Well that's an interesting way to put it." Trevor snapped. "You can tell him from me I've spent a long time putting all that behind me. I have as little desire as him to see it come up now."

"I'm sure you do." The first one said, getting into his way. "You've made a nice little life for yourself here."

"Yes, I have no thanks to him." Trevor answered.

"Remember, he's not the only one facing charges if this blows up." One of them warned him. "I wonder what that lovely wife of yours would think seeing you hauled off to a Military Court."

Trevor stopped cold. He didn't want to hear any more from these men. He never wanted to see or hear from Tracker again, but now, now they were in his life if he wanted it or not. He tensed up and the power started to flare up.

" _They threaten your life! They threaten the ones you love!"_ Psycho Green told him. _"You know they won't stop!"_

"Don't…ever…mention…them….AGAIN!" Trevor growled, his eyes beginning to glow green. The two men didn't seem to notice though, and were ignorant of the danger they were in.

"Hey, what happens to them is up to you." One of them answered.

" _He doesn't know how right he is!"_ Psycho Green told him. _"DO IT! END THEM NOW!"_

"Hey, Trevor!" Someone called out. He turned to see Aaron a little way up the dock, waving enthusiastically. Trevor took a deep breath, easing himself down and looked back to the men.

"Don't push." Trevor warned them. "You might not like what comes."

With that, he brushed past them to where Aaron was standing. He just smiled.

"I was just coming to help." He stated. "Trouble with customs again?"

"They didn't believe me when I told them this was sensitive scientific equipment." Aaron told him, gesturing to a large purple object on the dock. "I swear one of them was about to call the bomb squad."

"For that thing?" Trevor asked. "It looks like a toy submarine!"

"I'll have you know that drone is the result of three years and tens of thousands of dollars in research and development brought to life!" Aaron stated. Trevor just stared at him.

"Tens of thousands?" He asked. "Aaron, you can barely afford your apartment. Where did you get that kind of money?"

"Some grants, a few donations, some loans and a few credit cards." Aaron told him honestly. Trevor just face-palmed.

"Really Aaron?" He asked.

"Hey, sometimes science needs a little personal investment!" Aaron told him. "I've got some amazing data that'll really make the anti-climate-change talking heads take notice.."

"And now you also have to find a way to pay those loans back." Trevor sighed.

"Yeah, but…it looks cool doesn't it?" Aaron asked. Trevor just picked up the drone.

"Well it looks like a toy submarine to me!" Trevor muttered. "Come on, I'll stop by an ATM on the way! Save Hayley from a month living on Ramen Noodles!"


	11. Tribute Show

In Zandar, Hayley was sitting in a cafe along with Sarah and the female members of the Amber Beach crowd. There was still a while to go until the wrestling show, and while the queues to get in had already formed and people were already waiting to get in, there was an advantage to being Royal Guests. Sarah was laughing as Shelby shared some of the stories of the adventures she and Kendall had been on lately for the museum. Shelby was technically still a student, but with the personal mentorship of someone of Kendall's calibre in the field, she definitely got a lot more opportunities than others to take part in digs and studies that really made people sit up and take notice.

Hayley loved seeing Sarah like this. While sometimes she was a little jealous that there was a part of her best friend she didn't know too well, it was nice to see that Sarah hadn't just appeared on Earth a year ago, that she had a life beyond Summer Cove and their adventures. She just finished her text and put her phone away as Shelby was rounding out her story.

"I'm telling you, Cairo might have been great, but it's always nice to get home!" She concluded. Sarah noticed Hayley putting away her phone.

"What is it Hayls?" Sarah asked.

"Just dad letting me know he's home safe." Hayley told her. "His ship docked a little while ago."

"That's good to hear." Sarah stated. "Are you looking forward to staying with him when you get back?"

Hayley just shrugged and started to stir her coffee, which had to be getting pretty close to stone cold by this point. It wasn't hard to see the lack of enthusiasm there.

"What's the matter?" Erin asked. "Is the divorce still rough?"

"Not really, by the time mom and dad split their marriage had been pretty much over for years. It was more of a blessing for both of them than anything." Hayley sighed. "It's just...I don't know."

"I thought you got on with your dad." Sarah commented. Hayley just looked to her.

"Aaron Foster? Are you kidding? No one doesn't get on with him!" Hayley answered. "We get along great when we're together and it's not like he smothers me or anything. He's pretty much always at the university or the aquarium."

"But?" Shelby asked. Hayley could see why Sarah liked this group. Even though they only met her a short time ago it was clear they were concerned for her and just wanted to know if they could help.

"I don't know, I just get a little...sad when I stay with him." Hayley admitted. "Not for me, I mean, we get on great when he's there and I don't have to worry about coming in late or slipping out of the apartment or anything but it's just...it's like nothing ever changes for him."

"Well, that's a good thing right?" Kendall asked. "It means he's happy doesn't it?"

"Well yeah, but he's always happy when he's doing his studies or going to the aquarium or something." Hayley told them. "But it's like; he's in the same apartment he moved into when they divorced. He hasn't redecorated; he hasn't gone on any holidays..."

"Unless you count the middle of the ocean for a couple of months." Sarah chipped in. She noticed Hayley didn't seem amused.

"He's always around the same people; he doesn't go out and meet anyone other than boosters." She continued. "It just kind of feels like he's...not moving forward. I guess I just worry about him."

"I wouldn't worry too much. If your dad is an academic, things can seem like that on the surface." Kendall told her. "Look at me; I'm still working at the museum when I'm not off on a dig. It'd be easy for people to think I was in a rut or not going anywhere, but I've found somewhere I'm happy."

"Yeah, but you've got Matt." Hayley reminded her. "And didn't you say something about adoption?"

"We've begun the paperwork." Kendall admitted.

"Dad's not done any of that. I guess sometimes I worry about what's next for him." Hayley told them.

"I'm sure he'll be fine." Allison said reassuringly. "Hell, if you talked to me three years ago, I was still bouncing around go-nowhere jobs that rarely lasted more than a couple of months and all I wanted to do all day was skate."

Just then, Shelby got a text. She looked to the others.

"That's James, we should get moving." She told them. "It sounded like the party was already under way."

"Yeah, we should." Sarah agreed. "Between Calvin and Chase if we want there to be any refreshments left we need to get there pretty quick!"

Over in Millport, Dane, Brody and Redbot were making good progress putting the new workshop together. With the building now done, it was the only a matter of setting up the tools and equipment they would need. Dane had a lot of experience with the forge, having been a smith ever since his days back at the Wind Ninja Academy, and so it wasn't beyond his capabilities to set that up himself. It allowed him to make sure it was set up the way he wanted it to be, and with things placed the way he liked them so the tools were where he expected them to be. That said, it was taking a little getting used to seeing all the equipment Brody and Redbot were setting up.

"The mainframe is back up and running smoothly." Brody stated. "I've got the tactical systems back up and the mainframe is back online!"

"The scanners should be up and running shortly." Redbot informed him. "It won't take long for me to set up the satellite tracking system."

"This is a LOT more tech than I had back in the day." Dane chuckled as he saw them with their various screens and computers. "What even is all this stuff?"

"This is all the stuff from our old Command Centre." Brody said proudly. "I don't know where we'd have been without it."

"You really think all of that stuff is necessary?" Dane asked them.

"I can't count the number of times this stuff's helped us win the day." Brody said defensively. "It gives us tactical updates, warnings...hell, Mick and Redbot even used it to help in the design specifications of the Ninja Stars."

"You want to know what I used for my weapons' design?" Dane asked, before tapping the side of his head. "The most powerful super computer ever developed. I didn't need all of this stuff cluttering up the workshop."

"It's not taking up that much room." Brody argued.

"All I'm saying is, a ninja doesn't need all these fancy toys." Dane teased him. "A ninja is a weapon, even without all this. I just hope you don't come to rely on it."

"You know what I remember though?" Brody said with a sly grin. "I seem to remember a wise person once telling me that the ninja were great innovators that were always upgrading and updating their arsenal."

"Oh, using my own words against me?" Dane asked him.

"Welcome to the next generation of The Art of Invisibility." Brody told him. Dane just laughed.

"Touche." He replied. "Anyway, I'm just about done here. I just want to run into town for a few things, maybe repay the locals for their help with this place. I'll be back for dinner."

As he left, Brody and Redbot turned their attention back to what they were doing.

"There we go, that should be the tracking system up and running!" Redbot declared.

"Then what are we waiting for?" Brody asked. "Fire her up Redbot; let's see where that Super Ninja Steel is!"

Over at Summer Cove High, Principal Hastings was doing her rounds of the classes, making sure the staff had everything they needed. Although there were still a couple of positions to fill, and some of the staff would have to pull together to make up for the staffing shortfall, so far it looked like from an equipment standpoint everyone seemed to be doing just fine.

The end of the holidays was always a time that many teachers dreaded, but for the most part Jennifer loved it. She loved having some time to herself as much as the next person, but for her teaching was a genuine love, verging on the point of an addiction. She got so far into a holiday and found herself getting bored if anything and longing to come back. To her, there was nothing more satisfying to see the kids growing and moving through her school, becoming adults that would go out into the world and do good things.

She got to the shop class and felt herself deflating a little. She knew why Mick had left, she understood completely. Well, she understood as completely as anyone could understand such things. She'd loved the fact her career had brought her back to Summer Cove, she did really love it as a home and she loved doing her bit to make the town a better place for the future generations. She had seen her town in ruins at certain times during the past year, and it broke her heart. She could only imagine what it must have been like for Mick, whose home had been at war for longer than he had been alive. He had opted to go back with Princess Viera to fight for his home. She could understand him wanting to put Viera back on the throne, to try and finally see his home as a place of peace where people could live without constant fear. Of course that didn't mean she didn't miss him.

She went into the class, looking around. Little had changed in the Shop Class, but then again little really needed to. Tools would occasionally need replaced and every now and then they'd get a new piece of equipment, but other than that, the only thing the department needed was parts and a deal with the local wreckers' yard sorted that. She came over to the bed lift, and something came to her. She smiled as she started to remember the first time she saw Mick. She'd hesitantly put Victor in charge of the class due to the previous shop teacher resigning and being unable to find a replacement.

" _You there!"_ She called out, seeing a wild-haired, unfamiliar looking man standing in the classroom. Mick looked around to see who she was addressing as she pointed at him, before realising it was him. She approached him extending a hand. She was sure that the man she had interviewed had turned down the position, but in his overalls and welding goggles, Mick just looked like he belonged there. Although she should have wondered about the fact he didn't seek her out first, something about him put her at ease. _"You must be our new shop teacher! I'm Principal Hastings, very nice to meet you!"_

" _Hi, I'm Mick!"_ He told her, grabbing her hand and wiggling it back and forward.. She just sighed and looked to her hand, before wiping it off on a rag. Mick only explained to her afterwards that was his first real handshake and he wasn't familiar with the gesture.

" _Now, I was very disappointed to hear you had turned us down, but who could blame you? I wouldn't want to spend all day in this grease pit."_ She stated. She did cringe a little thinking about that. Why did she say that? She was desperate for someone to take the post. Mick though looked like the thought of being here all day was like a kid getting full access to a toy store! _"But...I suspect you're right at home!"_

" _I'm glad you changed your mind. Just drop off your paperwork with the office by the end of the week."_ She told him. _"Welcome aboard! Victor! You're no longer in charge!"_

She smiled a little thinking about that moment. She didn't suspect for a minute what would happen in her life after then. It was only a short time after that she had been attacked while out on her evening run. She didn't at the time know why, but when she woke up, she found herself chained up in the basement of her own house. Odious had taken her captive so that she could pose as her and keep tabs on the Rangers. She could still remember the humiliation, the terror, the anguish of being chained up, being tortured, subsisting on a diet of dog food which was all Odious would allow her to eat, and only when she felt she needed to feed her to prevent her perishing so that she could interrogate her, all the better to maintain her ruse.

She recalled hearing footsteps coming down the stairs. It was a little odd that the lights didn't turn on. There was a light switch at the top of the stairs. Odious knew that. The figure got to the bottom of the stairs and turned on the light, and instinctively she scooted into the corner, awaiting whatever fresh torture she had for her.

" _Principal Hastings, it's me!"_ Mick told her. She just looked up to him.

" _M...M...Mr K...K...Kanik?"_ She asked him. Mick nodded his head. She couldn't imagine how he had found her, but she was alarmed at the thought Odious could be back any time! _"You need to go, that freak..."_

" _She's not coming back."_ Mick assured her as he took his screwdriver and started to work on the locks holding her chains. She looked to him, terrified in case he was wrong. _"Don't worry, she's been exposed, we all know about her, she's not coming back."_

As the chains fell from her ankles, releasing her feet for the first time in weeks, he began working on the chains securing her wrists. The second he was finished, she threw her arms around him, squeezing him tightly and refusing to let him go. Mick gently put his arms around her.

" _It's alright, it's alright, we're getting you out of here."_ He assured her, sliding a hand under her legs. She clung to him as he picked her up, huddling into him closely. In that moment, despite everything, she felt completely safe for the first time in weeks. It was some time, even after getting to the ambulance, before she would let go.

She was wrenched from her thought as she heard something, and saw a bright flash of light under the door to the paint room. She started to head over, curious as to what it was.

She got to the door, quietly opening it, and peeking inside. There, she found a stranger, wearing a fully-enclosing suit of armour, with a cloak extending down the back. It was shiny, silver, and unlike anything she had seen on Earth. The stranger put down his rifle and started to look around.

Fear started to grip her. It wasn't long ago everyone was certain they'd seen the last of the alien threat in Summer Cove. The stranger headed over to the brand new compressor, beginning to run his hands over it. She wondered if he thought it was something of importance, not just an air pump to drive a spray gun, but the one thing that was important was he wasn't looking at the door. He was completely distracted, and more importantly...his gun was only a couple of feet away!

She opened the door silently and came in, creeping closer to the discarded weapon as the stranger seemed to be enthralled by the compressor. She got her fingers to it, lifting it up quietly, before levelling it at him. It was only as she figured out where the power switch was, turning on the power that the stranger seemed to realise someone else was in the room. He turned around and saw her aiming the weapon straight at him.

"STOP RIGHT THERE!" She yelled, trying to sound a lot more confident than she really was. She was never someone who was overly familiar with guns. Her dad had been a hunter, but she had no love of it. She definitely didn't know about alien tech, and wasn't even sure if she was able to fire the gun. The only thing she seemed KIND of sure of was she was pointing it the right direction given the position of the trigger and the barrel. "Slowly!"

The stranger held up his hands in submission. Either he thought she did know how to operate the weapon or he saw something she didn't and realised it was. Jennifer took a deep breath.

"Alright, step away from the...uh...weapon." She said, trying to bluff her way out of the situation. "That's not yours, but it is powerful and I will use it if I need to!"

"That's not a weapon." The stranger replied. "It's only dangerous when Victor and Monty get their hands on it."

"I'm sorry?" She asked. The stranger reached to his helmet, releasing the catches and lifting it off. Jennifer carefully put the gun aside as she saw his face. Her eyes lit up.

"Glad to see it finally got replaced though." Mick answered. Jennifer rushed over, wrapping her arms around him and kissing him passionately. Mick wrapped his arms around her and returned the kiss, losing himself in the moment. Jennifer parted from him a little way and looked to him in disbelief.

"Mick...you're back!" She stated. "But...the war..."

"The war's over." He told her. "The rebellion won. Viera's finally back on the throne!"

"But...how?" She asked.

"It turned out there were a lot more Viera supporters than we thought. Once some Rangers got involved and tipped the scales a little, the ranks swelled." Mick told her. "We took the palace a few days ago."

"So you won? It's really over?" She asked.

"Well, there are still some people that aren't too happy but their forces are dwindling. It turns out a lot of people like the idea of their kids not being sent out to pointless wars all the time." Mick assured her. "They can get by without me."

"But if the war's over, why are you back?" She asked him. "I thought...?"

"There's a whole other story there, something I need to do here." Mick answered. "But for now...I think it can wait."

Jennifer went to the door, locking it, before looking back to him.

"I think it can too." She replied as she walked over to him, drawing in and kissing him deeply.

Back in Zandar, the show was going well. Carl had assembled all the wrestlers on the stage to read out a dedication to Jack, and to tell the audience that the gate was being donated to a head injuries charity. Every single wrestler on the card had agreed to donate their appearance fee in his honour, and after ringing the bell ten times, a common mark of respect for a wrestler who had passed in the business, the show got underway.

The wrestlers were not taking the fact they were essentially working for free that night as a reason to slack off. Every single one of them was doing their utmost to put on the best show possible in his honour. A few would pay their own tribute. More than one wore a black armband, and several of them even replicated some of Jack's most famous moves and spots to huge approval from the audience. By the time the final bout was about to begin, the atmosphere was more a celebration of Jack's life than mourning his death.

"Ladies and Gentlemen, this is your main event of the evening. This match is scheduled for one fall and it is for the World Heavyweight Championship!" The announcer declared to huge applause. "Introducing first, the challenger, from Mexico City, Mexico, weighing in at 199 pounds, Cuahocelot!"

Alessandra came out, decked out in her signature face paint and brightly coloured attire, much as everyone expected, though she had her own little adaptations to mark Jack's passing. For one, she wore one of his old t-shirts over her entrance attire, and she also wore a black armband. As she got to the ring, she knelt in the centre and pointed upwards, her own way of saying that this performance was for him.

"And your champion, weighing in at 245 pounds. He is your reigning and defending World Heavyweight Champion. He...is...KODA!"

The crowd applauded as Koda stepped onto the ramp, taking up his position. They exploded as they saw his tribute. Like Alessandra he was wearing one of Jack's t-shirts, but more importantly than that, he was wearing a pair of white tights, covered in red splashes as though splattered in blood. He had chosen to wear Jack's old tights in tribute to him. The audience definitely seemed to approve, and as well as cheering on Koda, there were a lot of chants of "Thank you Jack."

Koda rolled under the bottom rope and pulled off his t-shirt, tossing it into the crowd. The referee got them both into the middle of the ring for the run-down, before sending them to their corners. The bell rang, and they both came out to the middle, beginning to circle each other, before launching forward and locking up.


	12. Playing Rough

In his campaign office, Tracker was pouring himself a scotch. He was staring out his window at the city, into what he hoped would be his constituency. He hadn't really loved the idea of coming here. He had only moved into the city a short time ago just so he would be eligible to run. He had never had any love of the state or the city. He'd never really had much love of anything, but it was one of the few seats that was up for election, and his party sent him here. It was all part of his career progression that he hoped would one day lead to the White House, to have a few Government positions under his belt.

He already knew his views would be a tough sell here. California, especially this area, was very strongly liberal in its political outlook. He had hoped to get to run in a nice safe-seat area. Somewhere that his party's badge could be put on a brick and it would win. Unfortunately, as one of the few seats open, he had no option but to come here unless he wanted to wait. It was an uphill struggle, as his poll numbers showed, but that wasn't his only worry.

"This is a disaster, you're managing to alienate pretty much every sector of the electorate." One of his advisors said in an exasperated tone. "I didn't think it was possible, but your numbers are actually worse than the last guy…and he lost the seat by over eighty percent!"

"This stupid city just doesn't know what's good for it!" Another said bad-temperedly. "What the hell is wrong with these people?"

"Maybe we need to expand our appeal a little, try throwing out a few bones to some of the fringe groups." Someone suggested. "There are a lot of prominent businesses here, maybe if we offered some of them a few tax breaks and suggested they open new premises and hire…"

"Sir, is everything alright?" Another asked, noticing that Tracker was pretty quiet. He just continued to stare out the window. "Mr Tracker…"

"Everyone out." Tracker told them. He pointed to a couple of his security guys. "Not you two, you can stay. Everyone else, get out."

"But sir, we only have…"

"GET OUT!" Tracker yelled. The rest of the suits gathered up their paperwork and started to file out, leaving Tracker alone with two of his security staff. As soon as the door was closed, Tracker looked to them. "What's the situation with Marx?"

"I'm sorry sir?" One of them asked.

"Did you get the message across?" Tracker asked him a little more directly. They just looked to each other.

"Well, we did deliver the message." One of them answered.

"Sir, maybe you should just let this go." The other one suggested. "I mean, it didn't sound like he was thinking of saying anything and…"

"Do you think I'm willing to take that chance?" Tracker asked him.

"You know he's got as much to lose as you right?" One of his security guys asked. "From what you told us, he's facing some pretty serious charges if he talks."

"People find it a lot easier to stay quiet and just live their lives if they think they'll never see or hear from the person they hate again, but they become a lot more willing to talk when they think that person may be around and worse might actually be in a position to affect their lives!" Tracker ranted. "That man marched a whole unit to their death against some of the most skilled and efficient killers this world's ever seen for what he thinks is right. Do you really think prison is going to scare him?"

"But sir…"

"I don't know about you but I'm not willing to take that chance!" Tracker interrupted him. "I want Marx silenced…no matter what!"

"Sir, what do you mean by that?" One of them asked.

"Do you really want me to spell it out?" Tracker asked. "The next time I see Marx's name, it better be in the newspaper…am I making myself clear?"

"Sir, that seems a little…"

"We'll get it done sir." The other interrupted him. "You'll never hear from Marx again."

In Zandar, the entire stadium was on their feet as the championship match went back and forth. Both Alessandra and Koda were easily putting on the match of their careers on this night, and although the crowd was giving them both all the support they could ever want, there was only one that they were performing for.

Koda reeled from one of Alessandra's dropkicks, and was backed into the corner hard. As she ran in to take advantage though Koda ran out, hitting her with a hard lariat, taking both of them off their feet. Koda lay across her for the pin getting a two count that couldn't have been closer. Koda's face was a picture of disbelief as he looked to the referee, willing him to acknowledge it as a three, only to get a defiant shake of the head. Koda looked over to the corner, hauling himself up on the ropes.

It was unusual to see Koda go up on the ropes, that was more Alessandra's territory than his, but as he stepped outside the ring and started to climb up, people were on tenterhooks, knowing they were about to see something big. Koda stumbled a little, his fatigue showing as he tried to balance himself. It cost him a couple of seconds, which turned out to be enough for Alessandra to get her bearings. Seeing him on the ropes, she ran towards the corner, springing up and joining him on the top rope. Grabbing him in a tight grip, they both came flying off the top, Koda flipping forward while she flipped backwards in a spectacular move known as the Spanish Fly. They crashed to the mat and bounced apart, ending up prone on the mat. Alessandra took a few moments before she was able to crawl towards Koda, laying an arm gently across him for the pin.

"One, Two, Thr…OH!" The crowd called out as Koda just rolled his shoulder out before the three count. People were on their feet, stomping and clapping, willing on both wrestlers as they struggled to get back up, eager to see what it would take for one of them to finally put the other down for the count.

Koda charged, swinging a wild lariat for Alessandra which she ducked, connecting with a back kick to his midsection and doubling him over. Seeing an opening, she ran for the ropes and coming back, flipped over him, catching his waist, hoping for the sunset flip for the pin.

Koda teetered on his feet as Alessandra tried to pull him back to the floor for the pin, but with the last of his strength, he leaned in and knelt down, sitting down on top of her. He grabbed her legs as the referee came in to begin the count.

"ONE…TWO…THREE!" The crowd called out. The referee called for the bell as Koda and Alessandra separated from each other, and the music started to play.

"Your winner, and STILL Heavyweight Champion…KODA!" The announcer called out as the referee presented Koda with the belt. In truth, the crowd wasn't overly concerned with who won, as evidenced by the alternating chants of 'This was awesome' and 'Thank You Jack'. Koda gestured to Alessandra to come over to him, and they both embraced in the ring, much to the crowd's delight, before they both gestured to the sky, marking their tribute to Jack.

By the time they got into the back, the rest the Rangers had already made their way backstage and joined the wrestlers who greeted them both warmly.

"Dude, that was something else!" Preston admitted. "I mean, I'm not super into wrestling but…man, I couldn't figure out how you did most of that! It was like…"

"Magic?" Koda asked with a smile. "Jack always say, wrestling a lot like magic. Just because people know it not 'real' no spoil fun. Half of fun trying to figure out."

"That was so great Koda…what little of it I could see." Kendall told him. Even now, she still found it difficult to watch some of his matches and ended up watching a lot of them through her fingers. "Jack would have been really proud."

"Speaking of Jack, tonight's a real testament to him." Carl said proudly. "Thank you all for participating and for your donations, and as of now, the total raised for the Head Injuries Trust is…"

Everyone started drumming to make a suitable drum roll for the announcement.

"$237,946.34!" He called out. Everyone started cheering to mark the incredible contribution. Phillipe stepped up onto a chair.

"Yes, that is a fine contribution, and I thank you all for making tonight so special. However, I do feel that we can do a little better." He said as Margaret handed him a calculator. "Which is why I would like to announce that the crown of Zandar would like to donate…"

He waited while they performed a drum roll for him.

"$262,053.66!" He declared. "Which brings the total for this evening to a nice round $500,000 which will be donated in Jack's honour."

"Best of all you put on a great show." Margaret added. "Which will give Jack the send-off he deserves."

"Ladies and gentlemen, please charge your glasses." Phillipe told them as some champagne was passed around. "To Jack."

"To Jack." They all chorused, drinking in his honour. Shelby just looked to Alessandra.

"Man, you really worked your asses off tonight." She complimented her. "I swear, no offence to Koda but I was a little disappointed you didn't win."

"I get title back some day." Alessandra replied with a shrug.

"Besides, I make it up to her later." Koda said, hugging her tightly. Shelby just turned away.

"OK, that is a mental image I didn't need!" She muttered as the group started to make their move. While the night was young and there was still much celebrating to be done, the wedding was the following day, and everyone wanted to be ready for that.

The next morning at the Marx house, Trevor was getting ready for work when he saw Laura coming in, beginning to pace frantically. She was on the phone to her boss, and by the looks of things she looked pretty highly strung.

"Look, I didn't say I wouldn't be there I just said I'd be a little late." Laura stated. "Nigel…Nigel listen to me…"

Trevor just snorted and continued eating his cereal. He'd heard the name enough times to know that Nigel was her immediate superior. He was an office supervisor but the way he liked to throw his weight around and bark orders and demands at his team it would be easy to assume he was the CEO of the entire company! Even the actual CEO by comparison was a friendly and easy-going guy that got on well with his employees, it was the main reason she hadn't told Nigel where to stick his job long ago. Still, he seemed to take everything and anything as a person slight. If someone refused to do an extra shift, it was disloyalty to him. If they were late or asked to go home early, they were abandoning him.

"Nigel, I have the accounts here, I'm bringing them over I just…" Laura rushed out. Trevor felt his temper building as Nigel started yelling so loud that even he could hear him through the phone. "My car wouldn't start Nigel, there's nothing I could do about that! Now if you'd stop yelling in my ear for two seconds maybe I could make a call and arrange a lift and I'll be there in twenty minutes or I can stand and debate this with you for an hour and I'll be even later!"

She hung up on him and let out a sigh.

"Asshole!" She exclaimed.

"I take it Nigel's having a good day?" Trevor asked her sarcastically.

"He'd be having a better day if he did the accounts himself like he was supposed to instead of dumping them on me." Laura grumbled. Trevor knew that she was aiming to advance her career and trying to get noticed, so it wasn't unknown for her to do extra work, but it did also mean that some liberties were being taken. "Then maybe he'd have them to hand instead of mouthing off at me because the bloody car won't start."

"I could drop you off…"

"Trevor, I'm meeting them at Tien Plaza, it's completely the opposite direction to the precinct." She told him. "There's no need for both of us to be late."

Just then, they heard a sound outside. Trevor looked out the window and smiled.

"And over-eager rookies save the day once again." Trevor answered. "It looks like Spike's picked up the patrol car already."

"He has?" She asked, checking her watch. "How early does that kid get to the station?"

"Well he just presented us with an opportunity." Trevor answered, fishing his keys out of his pocket and tossing them to his wife. "Here, take my car."

"Trevor, are you sure?" She asked him.

"It'll be fine, I'll just get a cab home later." He assured her, slurping down the last of his cereal, before kissing her on the cheek. "I might even have time to go run Nigel's plates through the DMV for any outstanding tickets."

"Don't tempt me!" She chuckled as he left. Trevor went out the door, getting into the cruiser next to Spike.

"So, what's on the agenda for the day?" He asked.

"We got the lower east-side route." Spike said cheerfully. "You know what that means!"

"Basketball with Tyrone!" Trevor answered with a smile as they pulled off. They got around the corner, clearing the street before a black SUV turned into the street. It pulled up on the opposite side a little way from Trevor's house.

"God-Damned suburbs, everything looks the same around here!" One of the security guys complained.

"I'm telling you, this is the place." The other stated.

"Really? Because you were sure about the last THREE streets!" His colleague complained.

"Look, the sign's right there, Dilmore Road!" He said, pointing to the street sign. "This is the right place!"

"OK, so we've got the right street but all the damn houses look the same!" The first continued to rant. "How the hell are we meant to find…?"

"Jackpot!" The other said, pointing down the street to where a garage was opening and a car was backing out of the driveway. "See, I told you this was the place!"

"Are you sure?" The other asked, pulling out a file.

"Look, it's a red ford, the plates match…that's it! That's his car!" The first announced, starting up the engine.

"Alright, finally a bit of luck!" The other said. "Come on, we'll follow him till we get somewhere quiet and send him a message he'll not forget!"

Over in Zandar, it was the morning of the wedding. The streets were already awash with people ready for the event. Inside the castle, people were rushing around making last minute preparations.

In her chambers, Margaret was sitting with stylists, putting the final touches to her hair and make-up.

"You look absolutely amazing." Sarah complimented her. "It's like…wow, it is like a real-life fairy-tale."

"I just can't believe it's finally here." Margaret said as she tried to calm herself. "I'm shaking so much I'm worried I won't be able to walk upright."

"Well you've got a good Maid of Honour to lean on." Kendall reassured her.

"Not to mention a lot of supportive bridesmaids." Allison added.

"All of this it's just so amazing." Hayley gushed. "I am so jealous right now."

"So, are you nearly ready?" Sarah asked her. "I mean, if you wanted to back out this is pretty much the last chance."

"Are you kidding? Do you have any idea how long I've been waiting for this?" She asked her. "There is no way I'm missing out on this, no matter what happens!"

Back in Summer Cove, the security detail followed Trevor's car, keeping a safe distance to try and allay suspicion. One of them was starting to become impatient as they turned off onto a coastal road.

"What the hell is he doing, taking scenic route?" One of them complained. "We're nowhere near the precinct!"

"Maybe Marx has a girl on the side?" The other suggested. "Wouldn't that be perfect? We could get him to keep his mouth shut without having to…"

"I'll tell you what is perfect, take a look around." The first said, gesturing around. "No one's around."

"I guess if he does have a bit on the side, that'll have to stay his secret." The other answered as he sped up. He pulled alongside the car, before turning in sharply, slamming into it. Trevor's car started to swerve.

"Hit it again!" His colleague told him. He turned the wheel again, slamming into the car, sending it careening off the road, where it slammed into a barrier. They slammed on the brakes, stopping dead and got out, running towards the car, drawing their weapons. When they got next to the car, one of them smashed the drivers' side window.

"Alright Marx, I hope you got the…" He tailed off as he saw a mass of long hair. Pulling back the driver from the steering wheel he confirmed it wasn't Trevor, but a woman that was driving. Laura had a horrendous gash down the side of her face where her head collided with the steering wheel. The guy couldn't tell if she was dead or just unconscious, but he knew one thing, they'd made a big mistake. They'd hoped to shake Trevor up a bit, get him to realise they were willing to play rough if he didn't keep his mouth shut, but when they saw his car, they just assumed it was him driving. It never occurred to them that someone else might have been driving. "SHIT!"

"What?" The other asked. "What is it?"

"Shit, it's not him!" The first rushed out as he started to scramble towards the SUV.

"Then who the hell is it?" The other one asked.

"I don't know, probably his wife, but I sure as hell don't want to hang around until the cops get here to find out!" He answered, running back to the SUV. His partner joined him, strapping himself in as they sped away, leaving the wrecked car behind.


	13. Big Returns

Trevor dribbled down the court, trying to keep his marker at bay in his game.

"Come on Marx, come on, you've got nothing!" Tyrone taunted him. "I'm all over you, you're going nowhere!"

Trevor switched up, turning one way, then another, spinning past him, before throwing the ball up. It struck the backboard, at which Spike ran in, leaping into the air and catching it before driving the ball into the net. Trevor came over to him, grinning brightly.

"We've got nothing huh?" Trevor asked. "Then tell me why as far as my count goes that's the game?"

"Man, beaten by a couple of cops? How am I ever going to live this one down?" Tyrone said, high-fiving Trevor as his friends gathered around. Trevor checked his watch.

"Alright, we've got about fifteen minutes, that should be enough time to wipe the floor with you guys again." Trevor taunted him. "Anyone want to go again?"

"Hey Marx, your radio's going." One of them said. Trevor just laughed.

"Chris, there's no need to make up excuses just because we're beating you fair and square..."

"No seriously, they're calling your name." He clarified, pointing to Trevor's discarded jacket and belt. Trevor started to approach and as he did he could hear they weren't lying. His badge number was being called out, and by the sound of the voice on the other end, it seemed they had been trying to raise him for a while. He picked up the radio and pressed the button.

"This is Marx responding." He stated.

"Where the bloody hell have you been?" The voice demanded. "Marx, you need to get yourself over to the hospital right away."

"The hospital?" He asked. "We're on the South Side, there has to be units closer than..."

"It's your wife Marx; she was in a traffic accident." The other officer interrupted him.

"On my way!" He rushed out, grabbing his stuff and starting to get ready. "Spike, get your ass in gear! Laura's in the hospital!"

"WHAT?" Spike screeched, beginning to hurriedly get his gear back on himself. "What happened?"

" _I can get you there faster!"_ Psycho Green's voice echoed in his mind. Trevor could see a pale green glow starting to envelop his hand. He took a deep breath and suppressed it, but took the car keys and threw them to Spike.

"You're behind the wheel." He told him. Spike nodded and got into the driver's seat, presuming that Trevor just didn't want to risk driving while he was emotional. This wasn't far from the truth. As Spike pulled the cruiser away from the curb, Trevor gripped his wrist and started to breathe deeply, trying to keep Psycho Green reined in.

In Zandar, the people were starting to gather as close as they could to the palace for the wedding. There were several prominent members of society that had prominent seating within the throne room, and others were given out for various other reasons. People who had been honoured for services to the nation, long-term public servants, military veterans...the remaining seats within the palace were filled in a kind of lottery system with members of the Zandarian population being picked at random so that the people of the nation could be represented.

The Rangers, of course, all had prominent positions in the proceedings. The front bench was for friends and family of the bride and groom of course, but the Rangers, those of whom weren't part of the bridal party of course, were within the front couple of rows. Phillipe saw Preston and Calvin arriving, looking a little apologetic as they took their seats. They were running late, but fortunately had managed to get there before the Bridal march. Matt, Phillipe's chosen Best Man, brought his attention back to the front.

"There are a lot of people here." Matt commented. "You know all these people?"

"Does anyone ever really know everyone at these things?" Phillipe asked.

"I heard you had to put a few noses out of joint." Matt stated. "I heard people say you snubbed the President of..."

"This isn't a State Wedding, there were no Heads of State invited." Phillipe told him. "I don't know the man, so why WOULD I invite him to my wedding? Would you invite a perfect stranger to your wedding?"

"I'm pretty sure my wedding won't be like this to be fair." Matt chuckled. "So, are you nervous?"

"About the ceremony, yes. About Margaret...not in the slightest." Phillipe assured him. "I've never been more certain about anything in my life."

"Well, that's good to hear." Prince Henry declared as he took his spot. It was tradition in Zandar that the current ruler perform the ceremony. He looked to his son and smiled.

"Are you ready?" He asked. Phillipe just nodded as the organ music began.

"I am." He replied. All the assembled guests turned to the door, seeing Margaret turning the corner and entering the main hall. There was a collective intake of breath as she entered in a beautiful white dress. Her smile lit up the room as she looked to Phillipe, who was standing wordlessly. Margaret looked thoroughly composed, and her walk down the aisle, without a single stumble or misstep. All her hours of practice and training, her dogged determination to walk down the aisle herself despite her prosthetic paying off in a graceful entrance that would have appeared completely natural to anyone who didn't know about the amputation.

As she got to the front, Kendall took her position at her side, while the rest of the bridal party all made their way to the benches. The music finally came to an end and Henry took up his place at the pulpit.

"People of Zandar, I stand before you today as the proud ruler of this wonderful nation, and as an even prouder father given the honour of seeing his son marry a woman who has clearly captured his heart." He began the ceremony as Phillipe looked to Margaret. They linked hands as Henry started to read the ceremony. Matt couldn't help looking to Kendall, who was looking back and thinking that soon it would be his turn.

Back in Summer Cove, Trevor and Spike ran into the hospital, having abandoned the car out the front.

"I'm here to see Laura Marx." Trevor rushed out at the desk.

"I'm sorry Officer but we're..."

"Please, I'm her husband!" He continued. The duty nurse just nodded in understanding, pointing down the hall.

"Fourth room on the right." She told him. Trevor ran down the hall, seeing a couple of officers already standing outside. Spike was going to go with him but a security guard grabbed him.

"Whoa, where do you think you're going?" He asked.

"My friend..."

"You can't leave your car there!" He stated, pointing to the door. Spike could see the cruiser they had abandoned at the door. "I don't care if it is a cruiser; we need that area clear for ambulances."

"Oh...right, sorry." Spike answered. While he was concerned about Trevor and Laura, he did also respect the fact that the hospital needed to prioritise patients and emergency cases. He headed out the door, getting into the car and starting it up to begin the search for a parking space.

Trevor got to Laura's room, where a couple of officers, presumably the ones that responded to the accident, were waiting. He thanked them for waiting and headed inside where Laura was being checked out by a doctor.

"Laura, thank God!" He declared as he saw her, taking her hand. He looked to the doctor. "How is she?"

"It's a bump on the head..."

"You lost consciousness; it was a little more serious than that." The doctor reminded her. "I haven't seen any signs of major injuries, it looks like the car did its job, but I'd like to keep her in overnight for observation."

"Hey, I'm the patient, me, over here!" Laura snapped, clicking her fingers and drawing the doctor's attention to her. "You speak to me, not my husband!"

"I'd say she's fine." Trevor laughed. "But could you please listen to the doctors, for my sake?"

"Trevor, it's fine, I'll be..."

"It's a head injury Laura; you read that e-mail Hayley sent about that wrestler guy that her friend knew." Trevor reminded her. "Do you think my life would be worth living if I told her you checked yourself out without a proper examination?"

"Low blow Trevor." She grumbled, before letting out a sigh. "But...I suppose you're right. Hayley would insist I get the full works."

"I'll leave you to it." The doctor told them. He was about to address Trevor, but saw the glare from Laura. He turned back to her. "I'll let you speak to your husband for a little while, but I'll be back shortly once we've scheduled some more tests."

"You'll LET me speak to my husband?" She asked. The doctor just saw when he was defeated and slid out of the room without any further comment. Trevor just laughed.

"You know he's only doing his job right?" He asked.

"Well he can do it while realising I'M the patient and I'm an adult!" She put down bad-temperedly. Trevor squeezed her hand gently.

"That's the woman I love." He answered. "So, do you know what happened?"

"Trevor..."

"Now I'm just doing MY job!" He told her. She just sighed.

"Trevor, I have a splitting headache...quite literally...and this really isn't helping." She told him. "I already told the other guys what I know."

"Which is?" He asked.

"Which is not much." She answered. "I was on the road, then some big black thing side-swiped me. I don't know, maybe he was merging without looking or something, but the next thing I know I'm waking up with some fireman cutting me out of the car!"

"Do you know what kind of vehicle it was?" He asked her.

"Trevor, honestly I only know about a minute before impact and waking up, I don't know anything else." She said impatiently. "The other cops said they don't have the driver, he must have fled the scene. Please, could you try and not make this all about the accident..."

" _Accident?"_ Psycho Green whispered. Trevor shook his head, trying to keep his mind clear. _"Why run if it was an accident?"_

"Laura, you could have been killed!" He reminded her.

"Yes, but I wasn't!" She snapped. "The car's probably toast but that's why we bought it and not a cheaper model! They build those things with crumple zones for a reason!"

" _You could have lost her! Someone tried to take her from you!"_ Psycho Green continued. _"You know what you have to do!"_

"It's just a car." Laura told him. "I'm pissed for sure, but the important thing is no one died. Please, just...be the man I married?"

"Of course." He answered. Another doctor came in, looking in on them.

"I've been asked to prep you for an MRI." He told her. "We have an open slot and we'd like to get you in as soon as possible."

"I'll be fine." She said reassuringly to Trevor. She then looked to the doctor. "Alright, what do you need to know?"

Trevor stepped out of the room, but he could still feel Psycho Green swirling in his mind, his voice echoing in him, questioning the accident. He found one of the other cops.

"Hey, um...you didn't catch the other driver is that right?" Trevor asked.

"He fled the scene." The officer told him. "We know we're looking for something big and black, but that's about it."

"Where's the car?" Trevor asked them.

"It's back at the impound." The officer told him. Trevor just nodded.

"Right." He replied. "I'm just...going to go wash my face."

With that, he headed into the mens' room. Spike was only just returning from parking the car.

"Hey, that parking lot is a nightmare!" He declared. "Where's Trevor?"

"He just went into the mens' room." The officer told him. Spike headed in after him, but when he got there, the mens' room was empty. Spike looked around, checking all the stalls, before scratching his head.

"Where'd he go?" Spike asked.

Back in Zandar, the ceremony progressed, and Henry was reading through the litany of the bloodline that had come before them.

Phillipe only had eyes for Margaret though. He stood, looking to her, thinking how lucky he had been that the world had brought her to him. He looked up as his father raised his attention.

"The Bride and Groom will now exchange vows." He asked. Phillipe looked deeply into Margaret's eyes.

"Margaret, I have had a lot of good fortune in my life, but without a doubt my greatest was finding you." He announced. "You have been by my side for as long as I can remember. You have always been kind; wise...you've certainly never shied away from telling me when I was being less than brilliant. And I would have it no other way. I certainly hope it always will be."

He slid the ring onto her finger, and it was now her turn.

"Phillipe, I've loved you...probably longer than I even knew what love was." She told him. "I've always known the kind of man you would become, and I don't mean the Prince of this realm. I mean a man that people would be proud to follow. A man who would stand for anyone under his care, and a man that I would stand beside for the rest of my life."

She slipped the ring onto his finger, at which they leant in, kissing each other. There was a massive applause from the assembled audience.

"I now pronounce you man and wife! I'd invite you to kiss the bride but that seems somewhat redundant now." Henry declared, turning them to the audience. "Now, in accordance with our nation's traditions, I now present to you the opportunity to bestow your blessings on the happy couple! Who would be the first to bestow their blessings on this union?"

Just then, the castle started to shake. The audience started to panic as it shook to its very foundations. The air started to go dark.

"Think this is just part of the show?" Tyler asked Calvin, who just shook his head. "Yeah, I thought that was pretty optimistic too."

The doors flew open and lightning arced into the room, sparking all around the room, causing explosions in multiple areas, before rebounding around and coming back to the door. In a flash of blinding light, a figure appeared. He reached up to his helmet, lifting it off, revealing a dark veined face.

"I would like to bestow my blessings!" He declared. "And...my commiserations."

"Let me guess...that's..."

"Drakkon!" Preston gulped as the Ninja Steel and Dino Charge Rangers all assembled at the front of the hall. Security were starting to get as many people out through side exits as they could safely.

"LORD Drakkon!" He corrected him.

"Well, Lord or not the one thing you're not is very good at calculating odds." Kendall stated. "There are fourteen of us and one of you!"

"No matter what reality you're in, you Rangers never learn!" Lord Drakkon said, at which there was another burst of lightning. The room started to flood with people in armour that looked like it was modelled at least passingly on various Ranger forms.

"You DARE to invade my lands and endanger my people?" Phillipe roared. "You'll pay with your LIFE! Unleash The POWER!"

"Ninja SPIN!" Hayley, Sarah, Calvin and Preston added. The Ranger Sentries were quickly upon them, while Margaret and the rest of the security detail tried to get others out of the hall before there was a massacre!

In Summer Cove Police Station's impound, there was a flash of green lightning and Trevor appeared.

It didn't take him long to find what he was looking for. Summer Cove wasn't really an auto crime hotspot. Maybe occasionally someone would leave their car parked a little too long and get towed but it wasn't especially busy. Trevor found what was left of his car and headed over to it.

The front of the car was totalled, and he had no doubt the car was destined for a scrap yard. Modern cars were designed to collapse rather than resist impact in order to take energy out of the impact and away from the people inside. The car had run off the road and ploughed into a barrier, that much he already knew, but that wasn't what he was looking for. He headed to the side, checking the damage there.

The side of the vehicle had black paint on it, which stood out against the red. It was to be expected from an impact, but looking at it, it seemed like there was more damage than he'd expect from a simple side-swipe. Laura had thought that maybe the other driver was just trying to change lane and didn't see her, but she was so shaken up she couldn't really recall much of the accident. However, there was so much damage he was almost sure that the impact had to be bigger, more forceful. Was it possible the other car hit her deliberately?

" _You know they did!"_ Psycho Green told him.

"Get out of my head!" Trevor growled. "I have...I have to be sure..."

" _To be sure they're after your family?"_ Psycho Green asked. _"You know how little life means to them."_

"Them?" Trevor asked. He looked once again to the damage, noticing how high up on the side it was. Whatever hit Laura had to be big. He suddenly got a flashback of the warning he got from Tracker's security guys. He could see behind them the large black SUV they had been driving.

" _You know it's true!"_ Psycho Green whispered. _"You know there's only one way this ends!"_

There was a flash of light, and once more he found himself in a new location. This time, he was standing beside a black SUV. He looked to it, seeing scrapes along the side of it, scrapes interspersed with red paint.

His temper flared, and he struggled to keep in control. He could hear a crowd nearby, and saw a banner. He was at a political rally, one that Tracker was holding in the hopes of bolstering his campaign. It was his guys, it was his team that had run Laura off the road, almost killed the woman he loved. He didn't even hear the men arriving behind him.

"Hey asshole! Didn't you see the diplomatic plates?" One of them asked. Trevor turned to see the security team behind him. He growled as he started to approach. He grabbed the man by the jacket, thrusting him against the wall.

"So did you think it was me or did you target my wife to get my attention?" Trevor spat angrily.

"I don't know..."

"Don't LIE to ME!" Trevor called out. The others started to try and pull him away, but they were unable to. None of them noticed the green aura starting to flare up in his eyes as Psycho Green lent him his strength. "I KNOW it was YOU!"

"Let...me...GO!"

Suddenly there was a gunshot, and they all backed off. Trevor staggered back a couple of paces, before falling to the ground. The man he was holding was holding a smoking gun. In his panic the gun had gone off.

"You guys all saw it, that guy was crazy!" He rushed out. "I had no choice..."

"Oh, there's always a choice." They heard an ominous voice say. They all turned in time to see Trevor sitting up. The bullet fell away harmlessly. They now saw green energy crackling all around him as he got back to his feet.

"What the fu..."

The man was blasted away by green lightning as Trevor stood before them. His eyes were now completely glowing green.

"I warned you not to push." Trevor told them. With that, the Psycho Green armour appeared. The men all pulled out their guns, opening fire in a blind panic as Trevor came right for them.


	14. Drakkon The Wedding Crasher

Levi was walking along the halls of Summer Cove High, carrying a couple of cartons from a nearby Chinese take away. Like the other teachers at Summer Cove High, he had to return to the school a little before the students did in order to make sure everything was ready for them.

Of course, without any students there, it was mainly paperwork and other duties that tended to make the days drag in a little. As much as the teachers complained about the kids with their raging hormones, their questionable decision-making skills, their hive-mind mentality and their seemingly endless capacity to create absolute chaos, the fact of the matter was they really did make things interesting and made the days go in quicker. Whether it was breaking up canteen pushing-matches, consoling a kid who was convinced the world was ending because their favourite bad broke up or teaching the same kid for what felt like the millionth time the exact same thing, they definitely always challenged the teachers and kept them on their toes. That moment when the kid who was convinced, they'd never get something had that eureka look on their face was something every teacher lived for. Without them though, they had to find other ways to make the days move.

He got outside the math class and took a moment to adjust his hat before opening the door. Inside, Mrs Finch was catching up on some of her clerical work while a laptop played the local news. She screwed up a piece of paper and tossed it at the screen.

"Bad news I take it?" He asked.

"No, just an asshole." She grumbled. "If this Tracker guy gets his way, he's going to shut down every penny of public funding for schools. He says he wants parents to 'have a choice' about their kids' education. If he has his way the parents of half the kids in this school won't even be able to afford to send their kids to school!"

"Jeez, seriously?" Levi asked. "And he's running in THIS district?"

"Talk about not knowing your electorate." She replied, before she looked to the containers in his hands. "Wait…is that…Did you get me lunch?"

"It's my turn isn't it?" He asked her. "There's a place not far from here."

"Oh my GOD! I LOVE this place!" She squealed in delight. "They serve THE best vegetable spring rolls ever!"

"Great minds!" Levi said, picking a bag out of one of the containers. "So, what do you say we get this before it gets cold?"

"Oh, no doubt!" She answered as she took the bag from him. Levi pulled a chair up to the opposite side of the desk. "I never cease to be amazed by how varied your tastes are."

"What's that meant to mean?" He asked her.

"Well, no offence but…looking at you I'd expect you to be all…you know…barbecue and beans." She answered.

"You know what they say about books and their covers don't you?" He chuckled.

"Well, I guess, I mean…you're into all that karate and you have one of the most varied musical collections I've ever seen." She continued. "It's almost as if…this whole thing is an image. Like maybe it's something you do to sell records."

"Are you kidding? No way, I'm totally a cowboy at heart." He told her. "The way I see it, there's a difference between being proud of your roots and being defined by them. Just because I like a rodeo and country music doesn't mean I can't read F. Scott Fitzgerald or appreciate the finer points of world cuisine."

"I guess that's a good point." She replied. "But have you ever considered changing up your look slightly? I think some people are starting to doubt you own more than one outfit."

"Hey, I may be adventurous when it comes to food but when it comes to the clothes, I know what I like and I stick with it!" He replied. Just then, they heard a scream. It took a moment to realise it was coming from the laptop.

"Ladies and Gentlemen, breaking news, Senatorial hopeful William Tracker's political rally is under attack!" The reporter called out over some explosions. "The perpetrator appears to be the Green Psycho Ranger! No one has seen him in weeks and he was thought to have disappeared, but…"

"Sir, we have to get you out of here!" A cop shouted.

"I'm in the middle of a broadcast…"

"You need to go, NOW!" The cop reiterated, at which the feed went dead. Levi got up from his chair and started to head for the door.

"I um…I need to go…use the bathroom real quick." He told her.

"Levi?" She asked. "Are you alright?"

"Please, keep eating, don't let it go cold." He rushed out. He sprinted away, leaving her confused. Mrs Finch turned back to the laptop.

"Maybe there's another feed." She said as she tried some other sites. "I hope the Rangers keep their promise to come back."

Over in Zandar, the battle was tearing through the castle. The Ranger Sentries had a lot of power behind them, and they all had almost military training under Drakkon's rule, making them much tougher than any mooger or kudabot.

"These guys are really tough!" Tyler said, sending a Yellow Sentry flying with his Tyrano Smasher. "It's just as well Drakkon didn't bring too many of them!"

"I don't know if he needs too many to be a pain in the ass!" Hayley commented as she cut down a Black Sentry, whose errant shots as he fell hit a Red Sentry, distracting him long enough for Phillipe to cut him down.

"You come into my land! Interrupt my wedding and endanger MY people?" Phillipe called out, enraged as another Red Sentry came for him, twirling a spear. He hit him square on with the Royal Ranger Punch, sending him crashing through some suits of armour that decorated the hall. He turned his attention towards Drakkon. He locked eyes with the evil dictator, who just smirked and drew his sword.

"I'll do more than just endanger your land." He told him. "But if you want to try and stop me, you're MORE than welcome to try!"

With that, he rushed towards Phillipe. The Graphite Ranger sent another Royal Ranger Punch his way, but Drakkon dashed it out of the way. Closing in, he and Phillipe became a blur of blades as sparks flew with every collision.

"Your Highness!" Ivan called out, leaping into action. He brought his blade down, but found only air as Drakkon dodged out of the way. Drakkon sent him spinning through the air with a harsh kick.

"No matter what reality we're in it's always the same with you Sir Ivan." He commented. "All chivalry, not much survival instinct."

"How's THIS for survival instinct?" Calvin called out as he, Preston, Sarah and Hayley all activated their morphers in bow mode. They opened fire, but he drove his sword into the ground, sending the blast back at them with enough force to knock all four of them out of their morph.

"I don't want you! Not like this!" He told them. "Not yet. With these powers you're…not even a challenge for me!"

Drakkon was knocked off his feet and scattered to the floor from behind. He looked around to find Matt and James levelling their blasters his way.

"This guy's tough, that barely phased him!" James rushed out. As Drakkon got back up, he picked up his sword.

"I may need them alive, but you…my plans don't need any of you." He told them. "And I have some time left!"

"Why do I get the idea pissing him off was a really bad idea?" James asked.

"Whatever happens, it ends here!" Phillipe said as he joined them. "This man dared to invade my homeland. He's hurt my friends. He will pay for this indignity!"

Over in Summer Cove, Brody roared up to the rally on his Ninja Star Cycle, barely swerving out of the way as Levi came flying over a panicking crowd, hitting the ground.

"Are you alright?" Brody asked.

"I'll tell you once I'm sure all my bones are in the right place." Levi answered. "I see you got word our Green friend is back?"

"Redbot got the alert on the scanner." Brody answered. "I thought he was gone, like maybe he was on the ship or something!"

"It seems not." Levi answered.

"HEY! The Rangers!" A cop called out, going for his gun. Levi rolled his eyes.

"Really?" He asked.

"You said you wouldn't come back!" He called out.

"Um…you want to shoot us or save these people from that guy?" Levi asked him, gesturing towards Psycho Green, who seemed to be making his way through Tracker's security detail. The cop took his hand off his gun and helped up a citizen who had tripped before he was trampled in the stampede. "Good choice!"

"Is it just me or does it seem like he's not coming for us?" Brody asked.

"He literally has the word 'Psycho' in his name, I don't think we can really attribute logic to his actions!" Levi answered as they headed for him.

Tracker was cowering behind a podium as Psycho Green advanced on him. The last of his security detail was firing on him in complete disregard for the crowd in their blind panic.

Rage flowed through Trevor as he marched onward, straight through their fire. He lashed out at them with his dagger, cutting the men down with ease as he approached Tracker. Everyone that stood between him and Tracker was an enemy. It didn't matter that he wasn't the one behind the wheel of the SUV that drove Laura off the road. He knew that the security detail wouldn't have done anything without his orders. The thoughts kept echoing through his mind, driving him onwards. Tracker was pure evil. He ordered the Ghosts to attack those civilians in Afghanistan. He ordered his lackies to threaten him into silence. He sent his men after him. The world would be a better place without him in it. Tracker deserved to die!

As he sent the shattered body of the last security guard crashing through the stage, Trevor advanced on Tracker menacingly.

Tracker begged for all he was worth as he came over, but his pleas fell on deaf ears. Tracker's men had targeted his car. They attacked even though it wasn't him driving. It could have been Hayley!

He grabbed Tracker, yelling at him, though the man stared at him blankly. Trevor didn't know that Psycho Green translated everything he said into his native language. It enraged him all the more as he yelled at Tracker, explaining to him why he was going to die. He didn't realise that as he shattered the skull of the man that had plagued his life for so long with a single punch didn't understand a word of what he was saying.

Psycho Green was blasted to the ground as Levi and Brody finally got to the stage.

"Brody, that guy is he…?"

"Um…I'm no doctor but…he looks pretty dead to me!" Brody said, gagging slightly at the sight of Tracker's shattered skull. "We need to shut this guy down NOW!"

Brody powered up his Bow Mode, while Levi put his Rockstar Blaster into lightning mode. They both opened fire with everything they had, knocking him off the stage. His armour splintered under the force, leaving massive cracks across the chest plate. Brody and Levi leapt off the stage.

"I think we hurt him with that one!" Levi stated. "We need to keep pouring it on!"

Green lightning flared up, at which Psycho Green disappeared. Brody and Levi just stood, staring at where he had once been.

"What do you think that was about?" Levi asked.

"I don't know, but if he's back, the sooner the others get back and we find the Ninja Super Steel the better." Brody answered. "In the meantime, let's look for casualties and get them out of here."

"It's alright, we'll take it from here." A paramedic said as he and some others arrived. "There are cops outside and they look like they're just itching for an excuse to arrest you guys."

"Thanks for the heads' up." Levi answered. "Time to put some of that ninja training to good use!"

Back in Zandar, the battle was still raging. More of the Ranger Sentries were now down and out, but the main fight with Drakkon showed no sign of slowing down.

James hit the ground, de-morphing and rolling around in agony. Phillipe lashed out in a complete fury, hacking into him wildly. Unfortunately, Drakkon's technique was far greater, and while every blow knocked Drakkon back a little and moved his sword due to force, he parried every one of them. They locked blades as Phillipe drove his Dino Sword towards his neck.

"I guess all those fancy schools and teachers managed to get you to learn something." Drakkon taunted him. "But you've never known real war."

"I've faced those who would threaten my people before!" Phillipe told him. "You will fall just like all of them!"

"Could any of the others do…THIS?" Drakkon asked as his helmet appeared. In a huge blast of power, Phillipe's blade shattered and he staggered back just far enough for Drakkon to cut him down. He landed on the ground, spluttering as Drakkon stood over him. "With the fall of a Prince, let the world know to fear the name Lord…"

"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!" Henry screamed as he ran into the room. He threw himself into Drakkon, who buried his blade straight through his chest. The Rangers all stared in horror as Drakkon planted a foot on his chest and shoved him off.

"One Prince is as good as another." Drakkon sneered. "Sentries! Come! We've delivered our message! Take this as a declaration of war! This world, like all others, will be mine!"

With that, a portal appeared behind him. The Ranger Sentries ran through, dragging their injured with them. Drakkon stepped through and disappeared. The Rangers powered down, seeing Phillipe over his father. They all rushed to his side.

"Phillipe." Kendall rushed out. "Phillipe, is he…is he…?"

"He's dead." Phillipe answered, completely numbed by what he had just seen, the full weight of his emotion still to hit him. Margaret came across, kneeling with him and hugged him tightly.

Back in Summer Cove Hospital, Trevor made his way towards Laura's room, finding Spike waiting for him outside. Spike threw up his arms.

"Where the hell have you been? I was looking all over for you!" He asked.

"I was…in the bathroom." Trevor answered. Spike just pointed to the door.

"I already checked in there!" He told him. Trevor tried to think of another excuse. It wasn't as though he could tell Spike where he had really been.

"I…didn't notice that one." He lied. "I guess my mind's all over the place with Laura and…"

"Yeah, of course." Spike stated. "The doctors brought her back a little while ago but they're only letting family in so I stood guard…even despite the action."

"Action?" Trevor asked, feigning ignorance.

"It's alright, I don't blame you for turning off your radio given the circumstances." Spike told him. "It was that Psycho Green guy. He came back and he attacked Tracker's rally."

"He did?" Trevor asked.

"Dude, it was a bloodbath! Tracker and his entire security detail are dead!" Spike informed him. "If the Rangers hadn't shown up who knows what else might have happened?"

Just then, Spike's radio started sounding. Spike just sighed.

"They're needing everyone back at the precinct." Spike told him. "I can contact them if…"

"No, it's fine, you go." Trevor told him. "I understand."

"I'll catch you up on what's going on tomorrow." Spike told him. Trevor watched him leave, before heading into the room. When he got there, he found Laura lying asleep. He went to her side, taking her hand. He regretted not being there when she got back from her tests, but he could still hear the thought echoing in his mind. The world had one less evil in it, but there was still more to go. Psycho Green's work was far from over!

Back in Zandar, the Rangers were all in the grand hall. There was a huge buffet set up for what was meant to be Phillipe's wedding feast, but after the attack, no one really felt like celebrating. Many were injured in the attack and those that weren't had gone home for their own safety and out of respect for the Royal Family.

Phillipe was sitting, sipping on some champagne as Margaret consoled him. Chase came over, offering him a plate.

"Here." He told him. "You've got to eat something mate."

"It would be a shame for all of this to go to waste." Phillipe said with a forced smile. "I'll have the staff salvage what they can for the funeral. I'm perfectly certain they can find worthwhile causes to donate the rest to."

"I'm…I'm really sorry this happened." Calvin said, uncertain of what exactly to say in this situation. There really wasn't anything anyone could say. On what was meant to be one of the happiest days of the year for Phillipe, Margaret and indeed their whole nation, one of the Rangers' deadliest foes had caused devastation. "This shouldn't have been your fight. Drakkon wasn't after us…"

"To be honest I didn't get the impression he cared much what Rangers he was fighting." Phillipe interrupted him. "I appreciate the sentiment Calvin, but I fear that this Lord Drakkon is not your sole responsibility. I have a feeling he may not even be ours. God knows what it will take to bring an end to his reign of terror."

"So, what are you going to do?" Sarah asked.

"The Prince is dead, long live the Prince." Phillipe told her. She just looked a little confused.

"I'm sorry?" She asked.

"It's the mentality that's gotten Zandar through some of the worst of times, our spirit of perseverance." Phillipe told her. "With my father dead, now I must rule my nation."

He took another sip of his champagne.

"In the morning I will have to address the nation and make the announcement." Phillipe told them. "Following that, my first order of business will be to arrange the funeral, and then after that I shall need to appoint a new ambassador."

"A new ambassador?" Hayley asked. Phillipe just nodded.

"My place is here now. My nation will need me." Phillipe replied. He finished his champagne.

"You don't need to worry, we'll keep the fight going." Preston assured him. "And if you need anything…"

"I need only one thing." Phillipe answered. "Let me know when Drakkon comes back."


	15. Race Against Time

The mood in Zandar was very different the following morning. What was meant to be a time of celebration had ended with a terrible tragedy. Although the official announcement was yet to be made, Prince Phillipe had sent out word that he was going to formally address the nation later that day. People had already heard rumours and given the quiet in the streets as decorations were taken down it seemed most already guessed that what they had heard was true. Prince Harold, the Prince and ruler of Zandar, was dead.

Phillipe had been prepared his whole life for this moment. He had the finest tutors and all the training that the vast coffers of the Royal House of Zandar could afford, but it didn't take away the fact that he had watched his father die. Instead of being able to simply mourn and prepare a funeral, there was a lot of other responsibilities he had to take on. Succession was a particularly unfeeling affair when all was said and done. Technically speaking, Phillipe became the reigning Prince the moment his father died, and while the funeral of the previous Prince would be a priority, the coronation of the new ruler was usually only a short time afterwards.

The Ninja Steel Rangers were in their rooms packing for their journey. Another cruel twist as far as they saw it was that they all had to go home to be back in time for the new school term starting. What was meant to be the experience of a lifetime had, unfortunately, ended with them having to return home while a friend was hurting. Sarah shoved the last of her clothes into her case, jamming it down forcefully before trying to close the case.

"I can't believe this happened." Hayley said in what she instantly regretted as possibly one of the most redundant statements anyone had probably ever said. "Maybe Principal Hastings would understand if we came back a day or two late."

"Phillipe insisted we should go." Sarah told her. "I offered to stay on for a bit but he said that we need to get back to things as soon as possible. If Drakkon's after the Ninja Super Steel then we really need to make sure we get it first."

"I know, I just really feel badly for him and Margaret." Hayley sighed. "They were meant to be going on their honeymoon and instead…Phillipe's taking the reins of the whole nation."

"I guess that's the part the storybooks never mention about being a Prince or a Princess." Sarah mused sadly. "I don't know what I'd do if, God forbid, something happened to mom or dad but the idea of going back to school or going back to work straight away…I don't know if I could do it."

"I definitely don't envy him." Hayley agreed. Just then, there was a knock on the door and it opened slightly.

"Is it alright if I come in?" Calvin asked.

"Its fine, we're nearly ready." Hayley assured him. The Yellow Ranger came in, followed closely by Preston and Ivan. Calvin and Preston already had their cases with them. "Ivan, how is he?"

"Duty is in his blood." Ivan told them. "As a knight, I had to see many of my friends fall and continue without them. Though admittedly it rarely gets much easier. He will have plenty of distractions, not to mention support."

"We should probably still talk to him before we go." Sarah suggested.

"I'm afraid that duty is also your burden." Ivan told her. "That is why I am here."

"We just got an update from Brody." Preston told them. "We're not the only ones that had a crazy vacation."

"Yeah, I know about my mom's accident." Hayley told him. "I got a text from Trevor."

"Your mom's been in an accident?" Calvin asked. "What happened, is she OK?"

"Trevor said she's pretty shaken up and she's in the hospital but he told me I could see her when I get back…" Hayley answered, before catching onto something. "Wait, if you didn't know about the accident, what are you talking about?"

"Our not-so-jolly green friend is back." Preston told them, showing them some footage on his phone. "Brody and Levi managed to drive him off, but not before he wasted some Senatorial candidate and his entire security crew."

"Great, that's just what we need." Sarah groaned. "Where the hell do these psychopaths keep coming from?"

"Brody wants us back, ASAP." Calvin told them. "He said that we need to get the Super Ninja Steel and start rebuilding our arsenal before he shows up again."

"That would be where I come in." Ivan told them. "I have summoned the Ptera Zord. It is the fastest way for us to get you back to Summer Cove. We should leave immediately."

"But Phillipe…"

"Rest assured, His Highness knows full well who his friends are. He knows he is in your thoughts and you are only a call away." Ivan said, placing his hand on Sarah's shoulder. "But he, perhaps more than any of us, knows that duty and responsibility knows no empathy."

"We'll check in on him when we can." Hayley said to her. Sarah turned back to her case, before knee-dropping on top of it, and snapping shut the clasps.

"There's no way I'm letting what happened here happen anywhere else." Sarah declared, picking up her case. "If Super Ninja Steel is what we need to stop it, then I guess we're off meteorite hunting."

Back in Summer Cove, in a gated community in one of the more affluent areas of the city, Mick was in the kitchen, whistling contentedly as he prepared breakfast. Although he had loved being home in the Lion Galaxy once again, getting a chance to re-acquaint himself with family members and loved ones he hadn't seen in over twenty years since he had volunteered to be sold as a slave to spare his father that fate, he had to admit there was a lot about Earth he had come to love, and the food especially was one such thing.

He checked on the bagels which were gently toasting to a gentle brown as he finished juicing up some fresh oranges. He didn't even notice as Jennifer came in.

"What's all this?" She asked with a bright smile on her face. Mick just looked between her and the food. He looked for a moment like one of her students who'd been caught in the act of some kind of misdeed, something that amused her.

"Oh, um…you weren't meant to see this." Mick rushed out. "We have kind of a custom where I'm from that after you…you know…spend the night with someone…you're meant to make breakfast and deliver it to them in their bedroom."

Jennifer just chuckled. It was unbearably cute.

"Well, perhaps that's a custom more people could pick up here." She suggested, wrapping her arms around his neck. "Though…that does mean technically you owe me a couple of…"

"Well to be fair we didn't actually leave the bedroom for…" Mick tailed off as he noticed something on the news. He turned up the volume.

"…Is still reeling from the death of Senate hopeful William Tracker in the wake of the surprise return of the Psycho Green Ranger!" The newscaster announced. "We warn you that this upcoming footage shot by a bystander on the scene may be distressing to some viewers. As you can clearly see, Psycho Green, who hasn't been seen in some time and was thought destroyed has returned, as have the Ninja Steel Rangers. People are already debating hotly…"

Mick turned off the TV and sighed. Jennifer nodded in understanding.

"It was a nice couple of days." She stated.

"I'll get going, I need to get to the farm." Mick told her, rushing for the door.

"Mick…"

"I'll see you at the school and…"

"Mick."

"I promise I'll tell you everything…"

"MICK!" She called out, before pointing down. Mick looked to his dressing gown.

"Ah, good point!" He replied. "Um…you didn't happen to see what I did with my underwear did you?"

Over at the Marx house, Trevor was getting ready for work. He didn't really feel much like going back to work. He wanted to spend every moment he could at Laura's side, but he was assured she was getting the best care at the hospital, and she promised to call him when she could be discharged so he could drive her home.

He was in the Living Room, waiting for Spike to pick him up. With Laura's car still in the shop and his own now a twisted lump of metal in the impound, Spike had offered to get the cruiser and come to him. He stood, sipping coffee as he stared into a mirror.

He could still remember the attack on the rally. He could remember the screams as people fled for their lives. He could recall seeing the men standing between him and Tracker, defiantly defending him to the last. He could remember being in exactly their position more than once, both in the military police and then on the force when he returned to the US. A part of him wondered if those men really knew the kind of man they were protecting, if they would have risked their lives if they knew the kind of monster Tracker really was. The news was on the television, recounting the events of the previous day, and showing the pictures of the victims. Many of them had been named and were being given acclaim for their bravery standing up to Psycho Green. Some of the pictures showed the families of the men that had the misfortune to choose the wrong person to protect.

" _Does it matter?"_ Psycho Green asked in his head. _"They chose to stand with him. They knew how that could end."_

"Those men, they were doing their job." Trevor whispered. "They didn't all choose to protect Tracker. They were assigned to him."

" _They knew the risks."_ Psycho Green continued. _"Sometimes, people get hurt if they get in the way."_

"That's not the way the world should be!" Trevor stated. "Some of those men hurt Laura, but…could all of them have been involved?"

" _They surely knew what kind of man Tracker was."_ Psycho Green continued. _"They still chose to remain."_

There was a knock on the door and Trevor snapped back to reality. He put his mug down on the table and headed to the door, expecting it to be Spike. However, when he got there, he saw a scrawny guy, a little taller than himself, with deeply pockmarked skin and gelled black hair. He was wearing an off-the-rack suit in a kind of hideous lime green with a white shirt and a red silk tie. Trevor just stared at him.

"Can I help you?" He asked.

"Mr Marx?" He asked. Trevor just nodded. "Hi, um…I work with Mrs Marx. I head up her department. I'm…"

"Keith." Trevor interrupted him. "Laura's told me a lot about you."

"Yes, we were all dreadfully worried when we heard about the accident. Dreadful situation." He told him with the kind of sincerity that Trevor would expect from Hayley when he talked to her about the Superbowl. "I was just wondering…did she have any of the files on her?"

"Files?" Trevor asked. It took a moment for him to realise what he meant. Laura was meant to be taking some accounts files over to a meeting at the Tien Plaza when her car was run off the road. He looked to Keith, and he stammered for a second, his mind not quite able to keep up with his thoughts fast enough to come up with a response before he finally picked up on one thing. "Laura's fine by the way."

"I'm sorry?" Keith asked.

"Laura, my wife, your colleague, she's fine." Trevor told him. "I presume you meant to ask how she was."

"Oh…yes, yes of course, of course, I'm very glad to hear that." Keith responded. "But about those files…"

" _Files?"_ Psycho Green's voice flared in his mind. _"A woman could have died and he's asking about files?"_

"Are you kidding me?" Trevor asked him. "Are you seriously on my doorstep asking about files when someone who works for you was almost killed?"

"Mr Marks, I'm sorry, I…I didn't mean any harm." Keith said, backtracking in his words. "I merely wanted to know if…"

" _Didn't mean any harm? He doesn't care about your wife."_ Psycho Green told him. _"It would probably not matter to him if she had died."_

"My wife was cut out of the car by a fire crew! The car and everything from the scene was taken to the precinct!" Trevor said in a slow, deliberate voice as he held his temper, trying to ignore the voice in his head. "They're still investigating the accident, so everything from the scene is considered evidence."

"Evidence?" Keith asked.

"They'll be released once the investigation is over." Trevor told him. "Now, I have to get to work."

"After the investigation…how long will that take?" Keith demanded petulantly. Trevor had heard Laura talk at length about Keith and his self-importance. He had honestly hoped she exaggerated, but hearing the man now he could believe all the stories he had heard.

" _This man is slime."_ Psycho Green stated. _"Slime to be scraped from your boot!"_

"It will take as long as it takes." Trevor told him, pushing Psycho Green to the back of his mind.

"Listen, I need those records, we're about to close a deal that is worth millions!" Keith told him. "If this falls through because of you…!"

"Listen, I can sympathise with your position but harassing me on my doorstep is not going to get you anywhere!" Trevor snapped at him. "Now, please leave my property!"

"You really don't get it do you? I probably earn your salary in a MONTH! I pay taxes, I pay your wages! YOU work for ME!" Keith demanded. "Now take me to the precinct and get me my files or I'll…"

Trevor grabbed him by the jacket and started to back him off his doorstep. He glared at him angrily.

"I said, get the HELL off my property before I arrest you for trespassing!" Trevor snapped, throwing him off his doorstep. Keith just stared at him in amazement.

"You dare put your hands on me?" He asked. "I'm going to call your precinct right now and have you brought up on…"

Trevor had enough, coming across and grabbing him, throwing him in a high arc all the way to the curb. Keith started to get up, but Trevor was already over by his side, grabbing him and hoisting him to his feet. He grabbed him and drove him hard against his car, his face twisting into complete rage.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, WHOA!" Spike called out as he skidded the cruiser to a stop and got out, running across to Trevor. He tried to pull him off, but Trevor's strength was incredible, way too much for Spike to be able to shift without serious force. "Trevor what the hell is going on?"

"This piece of shit is more concerned about his stupid account than Laura!" Trevor told him.

"Dude, let him go!" Spike begged him. "Seriously, I've got no doubt this guy deserves it, but look around!"

Trevor looked around and noticed his neighbours were all now on their lawns, staring at the scene unfolding, no doubt attracted by the commotion. Trevor just let Keith go, at which he backed away a couple of paces.

"Go to the cruiser." Spike told him. Trevor just glared at Keith, but walked away slowly, heading for the cruiser. Spike looked back to Keith and pulled out his notepad, scribbling down some details.

"Go to the precinct, ask for Ellie Thompson. Explain what you're looking for and she'll see you get the forms you need to fill in." Spike told him. "I can't guarantee how quickly you'll get what you're looking for, but it should help speed along the process."

"Your partner just assaulted me!" He whined. "I'm pressing charges!"

"Are you seriously the dumbest piece of shit alive?" Spike asked him. "The guy's wife is in hospital! You were on his doorstep whining about paperwork! Do you think anyone at the precinct is going to have the slightest bit of sympathy for you?"

"Everyone saw…"

"Did anyone see Trevor assault this man?" Spike called out. All of the neighbours just shook their heads. It was completely out of character for what they were used to seeing from him, but by now enough of them had heard about Laura that they were willing to give him the benefit of the doubt. Trevor was one of the friendliest neighbours anyone could ask for so they weren't going to side with a stranger over him. Spike looked back to Keith. "Go and ask for Ellie Thompson. After that, you'll just have to wait like everyone else sir!"

With that, Spike went to the cruiser, where Trevor was already in the passenger seat. Spike looked to him.

"Dude, you could have…"

"I don't want to hear it Spike!" He interrupted him. "Just drive."

"Look, if you want to…"

"DRIVE!" Trevor barked. Spike just nodded and started up the engine. Trevor looked to the side mirror, seeing his own face staring back at him, but in the reflection he didn't see his eyes. He saw a bright green glow.

Over at the Romero Farm, Brody, Levi, Dane and Redbot were in the new Command Centre. They had already started work on the scans, working to calibrate the new systems and make sure they were working properly. They knew that the asteroid containing the Super Ninja Steel had crashed into some nearby mountains, but that was somewhat akin to saying the deckchair you were looking for was somewhere on the QE2. With the system only just back up and running they had a lot of work to do to make sure the scanners worked properly so they didn't end up walking for miles in completely the wrong direction.

"You parked your Ninja Star Cycle…behind the Griffin family barn." Brody stated. Levi just sighed and shook his head.

"Not even close bro." He answered. "Let's face it, we might be ninjas but neither of us is particularly great at this."

"I'd help where I can but most of my programming isn't compatible with these systems." Redbot told them. "I was built more for construction and labouring work."

"Don't look at me." Dane said, holding up his hands. "The last computer I owned was an Amstrad!"

"Mick and Sarah made all this look so easy." Brody complained.

"They'll be back soon." Levi assured him. Just then, they heard a strange sound of engines. "You hear that?"

They all went outside, looking up into the sky. With a huge shriek, the Ptera Zord came zooming overhead. Four brightly coloured streaks fell from it, before landing in the yard. They smiled to see the other four Ninja Rangers standing before them. They all de-morphed and turned, waving as the Ptera Zord circled around, before blasting off in the opposite direction.

"Wow, Ivan wasn't kidding about how fast that thing is!" Sarah stated. "Next time I travel, I'm booking a seat on Ptera Airlines!"

"Yeah, it's just as well this place is in the middle of nowhere." Levi said sarcastically. "Real subtle form of transportation you have there. A giant gold Pterodactyl!"

"Come on man, we just wanted to get back as quickly as we could." Preston told him. "We missed you guys!"

"Unfortunately the hugs and tears are going to have to wait." Dane reminded them. "We've kind of got more pressing matters to worry about."

"Drakkon!" Sarah, Preston, Calvin and Hayley said at the same time as Brody and Levi said "Psycho Green." They both stared at each other.

"Psycho Green?" Sarah, Preston, Calvin and Hayley asked at the same time as Brody and Levi asked "Drakkon."

"You mean…the Drakkon that Wrench was talking about?" Levi asked. "He's real?"

"I honestly wish he wasn't." Preston stated. "We need to get to work and fast."

"We've had a few problems setting up the sensors…"

"I'm on it!" Sarah said, heading for the workshop. By the time they arrived, Sarah was already hard at work.

"Man, you guys are not kidding, you are NOT good at this!" She muttered.

"Hey, we rebuilt this place in a few days AND rebuilt Redbot!" Brody complained. "Cut us some slack!"

"Alright, I'm re-calibrating the sensors, we should be up and running soon…" She told them. Just then, there was an alarm. "What was that?"

"Perimeter alarm." Brody told her. "We had an uninvited guest a while ago so we set up some laser tripwires. I just wired them into the system."

"One of them has triggered." Levi stated. "Come on, this way!"

The Rangers all ran out, following Levi as he led the way. They went a little way into the woods, circling around in a wide arc, hoping to catch the intruder off-guard. They found a man in strange, high tech armour of an alien design heading towards the farm. He was carrying a blaster rifle.

"I think you might be a little lost!" Levi taunted him as the team powered up their blasters behind him. "Most visitors come to the front door!"

The stranger put down the blaster and held his hands up. He started to turn around.

"Slowly!" Hayley warned him. "Take off the helmet!"

The man slowly lifted the helmet off, giving them a nervous grin.

"Um…hi!" Mick said nervously. "Surprise!"

The Rangers all rushed to his side, hugging him tightly. None of them expected to see him again, but with the odds against them stacking up, they were delighted for every friendly face they could get.


	16. Casting Call

The Warrior Dome ship, newly repaired and upgraded, bore down and pushed through the asteroid belt separating Mars from Jupiter. It had taken them quite some time to consolidate their position and resources enough to come back, even with the generosity of their mysterious new benefactor.

When the asteroid hit, they had been left with a crippled shift with most of the systems failing some way from Earth. It was a miracle anyone survived at all, not least because Odious who had been standing outside the ship at the time had taken the full brunt of the blast full-on. Of course, she was not just a manipulator. Her magic was a lot more than just parlour tricks and mind manipulation, even if she did prefer to let others take the risks and do the heavy lifting.

Coming to on a crippled ship with only a few dozen survivors and some kudabots was not the ideal situation, and it got even less so when she found herself coming face to face with a reanimated Sledge. She had to give Wrench credit for that gambit, it was a desperate ploy indeed for him to bring back his feared former employer, but he hadn't banked on the fact Sledge was at heart, first and foremost, a businessman. But the real boon had been the arrival of her mysterious new benefactor.

She had no idea who Lord Draven was or where he had come from, much less what he wanted, but since at the time he arrived she was standing on a ship that was only marginally better off than being held together with duct tape, facing off against the most fearsome bounty hunter that ever lived, injured and with only a handful of warriors in any state to fight, she was in no position to argue when he offered to repair her ship, help her rebuild her forces and even, in a roundabout way, took Sledge off her hands by hiring him for a mysterious "project" he had mentioned.

Odious had been a manipulator and back-stabber long enough to know that there were few who were so generous without seeking much greater returns on their investment, but since he had given her the means to continue her pursuit of the Ninja Nexus Prism, she figured she could worry about whatever payment he sought at a later date. For now, she was glad to be free of Sledge, and in charge of her own vessel. Now, she was the undisputed ruler on the ship. No one dared stand against her, knowing how dispassionately she had orchestrated Galvanax's demise and the power she wielded. Cosmo whined a little about his precious show, but when she assured him she would put it back on the air, more because it would provide her a way to attract new warriors to her cause than anything else, he had slunk back into his office without any real protest.

Madame Odious glared out of the glass towards the pitiful blue marble that stood between her and total conquest, but as she did, she saw her reflection, seeing the deep gouge running through her mask, straight through where one of her eyes had been. In a snarl of rage, she lashed out, striking the glass with her fist, cracking it.

"Be careful my mistress!" Badonna, Odious' latest minion said in a panic. Badonna was just one of the latest changes around the Warrior Dome. She had arrived with Draven as part of his crew. He had sort of 'gifted' her to Odious along with the manpower and means to get her kudabot production up and running and her ship repaired. She wouldn't say she liked Badonna, but she had already started to sense a kinship with her. Badonna was ambitious, ruthless, and cunning and clearly her talents were wasted with Draven. Her keen mind and advice had already been incredibly helpful, and while Odious was always wary of a double-cross, hell, she'd almost be disappointed in her lack of vision if she DIDN'T try to back-stab her at some point, she almost felt like she was looking on a younger version of herself when she looked at Badonna. "You might survive the decompression in here, but you don't want to lose any resources!"

"No, you're right, that was…uncalled for!" She stated, pointing to a kudabot. "You, get Wrench! He can fix it!"

The Kudabot nodded and ran to fetch their chief engineer. Badonna took her place at Odious' right hand.

"You were thinking about the humans again weren't you?" She asked. Odious snorted in disgust.

"I can't believe that my downfall was caused by…by…THEM!" She said, her rage causing her voice to break as she once again saw the scar, an embarrassing reminder of the final battle. While she wasn't vain enough to care particularly much about the scar in and of itself, since it only acted as a reminder to anyone seeking to challenge her rule she had been hit full-on with an asteroid and survived with only minimal injuries, it did provide her with a constant reminder of her most embarrassing oversight.

"They are humans, they are nothing!" Badonna reassured her. "Back where I come from, they are barely even considered worthy of being slaves. They are amusing little toys to break for amusement."

"Oh, make no mistake about it, I WILL break them!" Odious told her. "Once I have the Ninja Nexus Prism and the Rangers lie dead at my feet, I will have all the time I need to ensure that…"

She pulled up a still image of the ship's broadcast equipment on the object of her burning hatred.

"…Victor and Monty!" She announced. "Go and get Cosmo. Tell him we're making another broadcast!"

"As you wish." Badonna declared with a wry smirk. She'd taken a liking to her position as Odious' new right-hand. In particular, she had taken to Odious' favourite pastime of tormenting the underlings, especially Wrench, with relish. As she left, Odious stared back out towards the Earth and grinned.

Back in the new Command Centre in Dane's workshop, Mick was just finishing changing into something a little more familiar and comfortable, his beloved coveralls! He had missed them as much as anything else when he was gone. Calvin was inspecting his helmet while Mick was stretching off and easing his muscles.

"Man, that armour is not comfortable!" He said as he rolled up his sleeves. "It's almost as uncomfortable as riding around in space taxis."

"Space taxis?" Preston asked. "Is that a thing?"

"It's really great to see you back Mick!" Hayley gushed. "We all really missed you."

"I really missed you guys too." Mick answered.

"So what's with the getup?" Calvin asked him, trying on the helmet. "I thought you were an engineer not a soldier."

"Uh…yeah, that's a long story…kind of a funny one actually." Mick told them, before taking a deep breath. "Long story short…we won."

"What?" Brody exclaimed excitedly. "Are you serious? You won? That's amazing!"

"Well, we had some help from some nearby Rangers, Miranoi and Aquitar aren't too far from our borders, but really what swung it was Viera's escape. It turns out a lot more people liked the ideas of peace and co-operation she was pushing than anyone realised and more importantly were willing to fight so that their kids wouldn't have to. We ended up storming the palace, Viera's back on the throne, the last of the opposition is either defecting or in retreat and yours truly here was awarded a medal of valour!" Mick declared proudly, beaming brightly. "Oh…Viera says hi by the way. Oh, and she sent a message on a holo recorder."

He put down a disk, at which it projected an image. It was Viera, but unlike the last time they had seen her, she wasn't wearing her Lion Fire Armour or any of the clothes Sarah had lent her when she was on Earth posing as her "cousin", but a beautiful, regal gown, made of fine red material and intricately embroidered. She wore only a simple circlet on her head, instead of a large and ornate crown. She smiled.

"Greetings Rangers, my friends, I've asked Mick to bring you this message of thanks. My territory is now at peace for the most part. While there are some who still resist the new ways, we are hoping that in time they will see the benefit of peace." She told them. "I am sorry to say though that not all the news is good. I received some grave news of a looming threat in your area. Sadly, the reformation demands my attention and so while I would like to return to help, I am needed here. I have allowed Mick to return to assist you. He has brought with him a gift from me to you. The Lion Fire Armour Star and the Lion Fire Zord Star. May they serve you as well as they have served me. Consider this a token of my gratitude for all you have done for me. I wish you all well Rangers. I hope to hear glad tidings from you."

As the message ended, Mick presented the Lion Fire Armour Star and the Lion Fire Zord Star to them. Brody took them gratefully.

"Well, at least we have something with a little more kick than our standard gear now." He stated. "If anything bigger than Psycho Green had shown up, we'd pretty much be sucking wind."

"What did she mean about a grave threat?" Levi asked. "Psycho Green and Drakkon only just showed up again."

"I'm afraid that isn't all you have to worry about. The hit Galactic TV show 'Galaxy Warriors…is back on the air!" He told them. "Well, not quite, but…they're putting out a major casting call."

"Galaxy Warriors?" Sarah asked. "But…how? Monty destroyed their ship!"

"Yeah…it seems not quite." Mick told them. "It's probably best if I show you."

He pressed a few buttons on the holo projector at which an image appeared. Sure enough, they saw the all too familiar sight of the Galaxy Warriors stage.

Up on the Warrior Dome, Cosmo stood on the edge of the stage, waiting while the wind-up act, some comedian they had picked up, finished his act. His jokes and his silly antics were not entertaining the audience in the slightest, but when Cosmo started up the stage's booby traps, sending all sorts of lethal explosives and swinging maces his way, the audience were lapping it up as he dived and screamed for his life.

"Now THAT'S entertainment!" Cosmo declared as Wrench arrived, carrying a tablet. He presented it to Cosmo.

"We've picked up some new prospects for the show, but that still leaves us with only a fraction of the roster you used to have!" Wrench complained. "Those that weren't killed when the asteroid hit either left if they were powerful enough to escape or were too weak to get out and will be no match for the Rangers!"

"You always need a few wind-up acts to whet the audience's appetite." Cosmo reminded him as he took a drag from a cigar. "We're still waiting to hear from the real talent."

"What are you two snivelling about?" Madame Odious demanded as she and Badonna arrived. Since Galvanax had been destroyed, Odious was now the most powerful one left on the ship. She had taken de facto control over the entire operation by intimidation. Those that were left did not dare to stand against her. Not only had she survived, albeit at the cost of her eye and with a noticeable crack down her mask, but she had made some powerful and scary allies. "Are you ready to start broadcasting?"

"It won't be much longer, we just need to wait on the warm-up act ending." Cosmo told her.

"When will that be?" Badonna asked. There was a spine-chilling scream and a loud crash, at which Cosmo smiled.

"I believe that would be our cue!" He replied as he strode out onto the stage, dancing out into the centre while some Kudabots came out with mops to clear up what was left of the warm-up act.

"Ladies and Gentlemen, who do you love?" Cosmo asked, cupping his ear with his hand.

"Cosmo!" The audience called back.

"I can't hear you…who do you l…"

He was cut off as Madame Odious snatched the microphone from him and shoved him away unceremoniously.

"Ladies and Gentlemen, Galaxy Warriors is now under NEW management and we are taking it in a NEW creative direction!" She announced. "This is going to be the greatest season EVER!"

The crowd cheered, but the Rangers watched on, considerably less enthusiastic about her announcement.

"Once more we shall be returning to Earth to seize the most powerful prize in the universe, the fabled Ninja Nexus Prism and the Super Ninja Steel!" She continued. "However, with such a lucrative and powerful prize on offer, we can no longer just give you the run-of-the-mill monsters you've been seeing, which is why all of our contracts have been voided and we are putting out an open casting to the entire universe!"

"The contracts have been cancelled?" Calvin asked. "Doesn't that mean they have no monsters?"

"I think it's more likely their monsters were either destroyed or laid low." Levi stated. "Which is why they're opening up entry to everyone."

"With the Ninja Nexus Prism and its limitless power, no prize will be too great, no riches too outlandish, no desire too wild to be fulfilled!" Madame Odious continued with her speech. "This year's champion need only name his or her own prize and it will be theirs!"

Back on Earth, Mick shut off the advert. He looked to the Rangers hesitantly.

"Oh great, that's just what we need on top of everything else!" Hayley complained. "No prize too great? The Champion can name their own prize no matter what it is? She's going to have every super-powered sicko in existence climbing over each other to knock down her door and take that prize!"

"Is anyone else starting to miss Galvanax?" Preston asked. They all just stared at him. "It was just a question."

"OK, this is bad, but we've got the team back together which means we're at full strength!" Brody announced.

"Full-strength?" Calvin asked. "Are you missing the part where all we have is our Power Stars and the Lion Fire Armour and Lion Fire Megazord stars?"

"A ninja is a weapon. Their wits, their instincts and their will make them the most dangerous weapon in existence." Brody reminded them. "Anything else is a bonus."

"I know I'd like a few bonuses right about now." Levi sighed, sitting down as they all waited for Sarah to complete the scans. They could only hope that with so many foes, they weren't already playing catch-up.

Over at Summer Cove Police Station, Trevor and Spike headed in to follow up on some reports. Ellie was at her desk, finishing up a phone call as they arrived. She looked to Trevor a little sympathetically.

"Trevor, I wasn't expecting to see you today." She replied honestly. "Is Laura OK?"

"She's fine, I'm just waiting on the call to tell me she's ready to be released." He answered.

"Well, you know where we are if…"

"Yeah, I appreciate that." Trevor told her. "Look, can you excuse me? I just need to use the rest room."

As he left, Spike sat on the edge of her desk.

"Poor guy, he worships Laura and Hayley." Ellie commented as she watched him head into the mens' room. "Surely the department could give him a few days or…"

"It's not like they can MAKE him take personal time if he doesn't want to." Spike responded. "Lord knows if they could, I'd seriously considering asking the Captain to make it happen. I've spent most of the morning trying to find a path that takes us away from anything remotely stressful."

"Is it really that bad?" Ellie asked him. Spike looked around cautiously.

"Has some guy named Keith been in?" He asked her.

"Oh, you mean 'Mood Killer Keith' the office manager?" She asked, rolling her eyes. "Laura's talked about him a few times. Let me tell you, he's no more pleasant in person than she describes. He was whining about some files. I gave him the forms to sign and told him we'd send them on if they weren't needed."

"Well, he turned up at Trevor's front door." Spike told her.

"He mentioned Trevor, he wasn't too complimentary either." Ellie replied. "I took my time finding those forms I can tell you. I told him I'd be right back and went on my lunch break. He wasn't too happy about the forty five minute wait, but I won't have my friends being talked about like…"

"Ellie, when I got there, Trevor was…it…it looked like Trevor was about to do something really stupid." Spike told her. Ellie just stared at him.

"Really?" She asked. "That…that doesn't sound like him at all!"

"No, it really doesn't! I could barely get him to let go!" Spike told her. "I think it's only the fact that Trevor's neighbours think too much of him to stand as witnesses that stopped him ending up in front of the Captain."

"It's terrible, he's obviously upset about what happened to Laura." Ellie answered. "Do you think he would talk to you?"

"You have…MET Trevor, right?" Spike said a little dejectedly. "I'm just going to keep him away from any of the trouble spots until the hospital calls and hope for the best."

"You're a good friend Spike." Ellie answered. He just shrugged.

"Sometimes the best thing you can do is just be there." He answered.

In the Mens' room, Trevor was just finishing up and went to the sink to clean up afterwards. He pumped some soap from the dispenser into his hand and started the water running, scrubbing his hands before looking up to the mirror. He jumped with a start when he thought he saw Psycho Green standing behind him. He spun around, but found no one there. His heart racing, struggling to catch his breath, he turned back to the mirror.

"What…what's happening to me?" He whispered, looking to the mirror. He stared down at his hands, which now looked like they were covered with blood. In a panic, he ran them under the tap, but the crimson fluid just seemed to keep coming no matter what he did. He scrubbed and scrubbed in a panic, but now it seemed like the blood was going everywhere! It was in his clothes, all over the counter, across the floor…he jumped again when he heard a loud bang, looking towards the door. He almost felt like his heart was about to give out when he saw Grace Sterling standing before him.

"Marx!" She stated gruffly. She beckoned him with one finger. "My office, now!"

Trevor blinked, unable to comprehend what had happened. She hadn't said a word about…

He looked around, and now there wasn't a drop of blood to be seen anywhere. He stared back into the mirror and Psycho Green was gone. He snatched some paper towels, drying off his hands, before following Grace towards her office.


	17. Sniffing Out Trouble

Up on the Warrior Dome, Madame Odious was in her throne room, with Badonna by her side, while Wrench and Cosmo put on a slide show, presenting to her the applicants who had responded to her casting call. There was something of a mixed bag to say the least. Odious slumped back in her seat, sighing deeply as she rested the right side of her face on her left hand. She had already watched what felt like a veritable who's who of some of the most deluded and idiotic creatures in existence. From the kid, the literal child who appeared on screen wearing armour that was clearly made from his mother's kitchenware through a woman that boasted she was the most agile creature in existence as she tripped over her own cape to…well…

"I am the master of all explosives! I can destroy anything with my bombs!" He boasted. "I shall demonstrate on this adamantium safe!"

They all snapped back from the screen as the bomb went off, leaving the safe completely unscratched. Of course, he had managed to destroy something…as evidenced by the smoking pair of boots left where he had been standing.

"Turn it off!" She groaned. "For pity's sake turn it off! I can't watch this a moment longer!"

"Those are the best you have to offer?" Badonna scoffed.

"The advert's only been running a few hours, you have to expect to get a few duds." Cosmo answered with a shrug. "Many of the real contenders still think we're off the air. It'll take a while for us to get the real heavy hitters to start applying."

"Not to mention it'll take a while for a lot of people to take our prize seriously." Wrench added. "I mean, you are promising ANYTHING they want before we even put on our first show! You've all heard the saying about 'if something sounds too good to be true'."

Badonna pulled out a poster and showed it to Odious.

"You know, we could always get Brax." She said, showing her the poster. She looked at it in a rather sickening way. "I mean, he's so strong and handsome and…um…he's the most powerful creature in existence and…"

"Hm…I've heard of Brax." Cosmo admitted, stroking his chin. "I tried to get him on the show a few times but I could never quite iron out the details with his manager General Tietamon. Can you believe that crook wanted FIFTEEN percent of the t-shirt sales?"

"He can have a hundred percent for all I care if he does the job!" Odious said, waving him off. "Where is he?"

"Last time he was seen on a broadcast he was in…" Wrench said, punching up the details. "Oh, he's on this fifth fight of a fifteen-match deal in the Regulus Sector."

"Even if he left immediately it would take weeks for him to get here." Cosmo told them. "Not to mention we'd likely have to pay a fortune in legal fees for him to break that contract…"

"I don't care, we should bring him here NOW!" Badonna screamed, stomping her foot. They all stared at her. "Um…I mean…who cares what it costs if he does the job right?"

"We'll keep him in mind, but I need someone now." Odious grumbled. "That asteroid those humans hit us with may have caused all of this, but we were dragging it here for a reason. It contained Super Ninja Steel. No doubt the Rangers are already searching for it, if they don't have it already."

"We destroyed most of their arsenal, they're weakened." Wrench surmised. "If we get the Super Ninja Steel before them, we can stop them making more weapons!"

"Exactly!" Odious agreed. "I need someone that can track the Super Ninja Steel."

"Well, there is ONE candidate I can think of." Cosmo answered. "The best part is, he's already on the ship!"

"Wait, there was a warrior here ready to go and you didn't tell me?" Odious demanded. "Why not?"

"Well, he's um…" Cosmo started to say. "Let's just say that he was on the D-list for last season so when the Rangers started bringing out the big toys…"

"Oh, never mind, just bring him here!" Odious demanded. "NOW!"

Cosmo bowed and turned, leaving the room with Wrench. Odious turned to Badonna.

"If he is D-list, he might need a little backup." She answered. "Go with this warrior. It's about time you saw what we're up against."

"As you wish Madame Odious." Badonna replied respectfully.

At Summer Cove Police Station, Grace and Trevor went into her office. The office was pretty much exactly as he remembered it with one notable exception. The glass case which had housed Psycho Green's dagger was sitting on her desk instead of the shelf. He could feel something stirring inside him looking to it, but it wasn't just rage, it was tinged with a little fear as well. Psycho Green could remember being shut up in that case for almost seventy years. Grace went behind her desk.

"Please, take a seat." She beckoned him as she sat down, reaching under the desk. She flipped the safety catch off a blaster that was sitting in a cradle under the desk, its barrel pointed out towards the chair on the other side of the desk. Trevor felt uneasy in this place, not just because of Psycho Green, but also because the last time he'd been in that office was when he had stolen the dagger. Although he knew that the cameras had been down when he entered the office and so far, the investigation, he was certain Grace would have launched into who stole the dagger hadn't caught up with him, it still made him nervous to think what might happen if there was something, he hadn't thought of that would lead back to him.

"I'd prefer to stand." Trevor told her. Grace seemed a little put out by his answer, but just waved him off, indicating he could stand if he wished. Long before he was a cop, Trevor had been in the military and knew it was best to be ready to act in tense situations…though he wasn't exactly sure what he would do even if she had discovered him as he feared.

"I heard about your wife's accident." She told him. "I'm sorry."

"Did you have anything to do with it?" He asked her.

"Well, no but…"

"Then why are you sorry?" He interrupted her. Grace gave him a little smirk. She wasn't exactly patient with smart-asses, but she appreciated his answer.

"I can't say I've met her, but I know what it's like to lose those you care about." She replied, gesturing to some pictures on the wall. Trevor had seen them before, three people he hadn't known, but who according to the inscriptions all died on the same day back in 1969. It had been the date of their death that had unlocked the case that gave him access to Psycho Green's dagger. He could feel Psycho Green stirring again, and something in his mind now knew them as enemies. The date, it was familiar to him too. Was it possible? No, surely…surely there was another reason Grace had Psycho Green's dagger, wasn't there? "Even the thought of losing a loved one, the possibility is terrifying."

"Laura's going to be fine." Trevor answered. "In fact, she's being released today so if you don't mind, I'd really like…"

"I'll try not to keep you too long." She interrupted him. "I'll level with you, I didn't bring you in here to talk about your wife. That was just small talk."

"I figured as much." Trevor answered. "So, since I'm in a hurry, what is it you do want to talk about?"

"William Tracker." She told him. Trevor shifted a little uncomfortably just hearing the name.

"The senatorial candidate that was killed." He responded. "What about him?"

"I was wondering what you knew about him." She pressed on.

" _She knows."_ Psycho Green whispered to him. Trevor tried to ignore him.

"I know I was no fan of his policies." Trevor answered. "He was killed by Psycho Green, wasn't he?"

"That's all?" Grace asked him. "That's all you know about him?"

"I…guess I know he rubbed some people the wrong way lately." Trevor answered, thinking about what she might know. Often the biggest mistake people made was trying to deny all knowledge or lying about things that were then brought up later and tripping themselves up explaining them. If Grace did want to accuse him of something, then it was up to her to prove it. "I was at one of his rallies where people were getting a little riled up. I ran into him at a diner after that where one of his security guys complained about us leaving once, we believed things were peaceful."

"By 'we' I presume you mean you and Skullovitch." Grace continued. He nodded. "That was it?"

"You don't believe me?" He asked her. Grace just sighed.

"OK, all cards on the table." She replied, pulling out a file and putting it on the table. It had the word 'Classified' stamped across it, and as she opened it, he saw his own picture, along with numerous others. He stumbled a little seeing them.

"Where did you get that?" He asked.

"There's little I can't get my hands on with some time." Grace told him. "I believe you knew Tracker back when he was General Tracker."

" _She knows."_ Psycho Green whispered again.

"I can't believe you got your hands on…" Trevor said, his voice cracking a little. "I have no idea how you got your hands on this, but clearly you know about what he did, so yes, I knew him back then. The only reason I didn't tell you was because this was all sealed and we were told in no uncertain terms that none of us were ever to discuss it again."

"For what it's worth, I can understand why you did what you did." Grace told him. "I mean, all those innocent people, what you did was a service to humanity."

"You could say that." Trevor said. He could already recognise one of the most basic forms of interrogation technique, trying to empathise and create a bond with the person being interviewed. People tended to be more inclined to speak if they thought the other person was on their side. Reminding himself she was likely fishing for him to say something that incriminated himself, he was trying to say as little as possible.

"I'll bet seeing him again after all this time was a shock." She suggested.

"It wasn't pleasant, no." Trevor replied. "I'd have been happier never seeing him again."

"Now you never will." Grace stated. Trevor couldn't believe he walked into that one.

" _She knows!"_ Psycho Green said a little more forcefully. _"You must silence her!"_

"Are you trying to suggest I had something to do with this?" Trevor asked her angrily.

"I'm just saying that it would be understandable." Grace replied. "I mean, the things he did, the man was a monster! It would be easy to see why…"

"You saw the same reports I did!" Trevor snapped. "Was Tracker a piece of shit? Yes, he was! Is the world a better place without him in it? Maybe. I admit I'm not exactly going to be shedding any tears over the fact he's gone, but you saw the same reports I did. Psycho Green killed him! I had nothing to do with it!"

Just then, there was a knock at the door and Spike came in.

"Um…sorry to interrupt." Spike told her. "Trevor, the hospital called, they couldn't reach your cell. They say that Laura's ready to be discharged."

"Are we done here?" Trevor asked. "If it's quite alright with you I'd like to take my wife home."

"Of course." Grace responded, gesturing to the door. Trevor turned and left with Spike, closing the door behind him. Grace pulled out the blaster and flipped on the safety catch.

Meanwhile, in the mountains just outside the city, the Rangers parked up the trucks and got out on the beginning of the trail. They had changed into their ninja uniforms for the occasion, as much out of desire to not ruin their own clothes as any form of sentiment at being back on Ranger missions. Sarah checked her Ninja Comm, which she had set to track the map on the main computer back at the Command Centre.

"Alright, I think this is about as close as we're likely to get in the trucks. The path gets pretty treacherous up ahead." She stated. "According to the scans, the asteroid shouldn't be too much further."

"I think that's probably a good call." Brody agreed, pointing to a mountaintop with a rather unnaturally smooth curved top. "I don't think it got that way naturally."

"The asteroid probably smashed through it on its way down." Hayley agreed.

"Guys, you might want to speed things up a bit." Mick told them. "A whole bunch of guys just appeared on the scanner not far from your position."

"Why do I strongly doubt we're just going to run into a Boy Scouts' convention?" Levi asked.

"You'd be right about that assumption. The energy signature is definitely alien." Mick told them. "I'm picking up a huge ship that just moved into Earth's orbit."

"Damn. I was hoping we'd have a little more time before Odious and her goons showed up." Brody commented. "Alright, we knew this probably wasn't going to be easy, let's morph and…"

"Whoa there Captain Blitzkrieg, what's with Operation Sledgehammer?" Dane asked as he got on the communications link. "The scans are showing anything up to fifty opponents up ahead."

"Fifty kudabots? That's not exactly the biggest odds we've faced." Calvin reminded him.

"No, but there's no guarantee they're all kudabots." Dane reminded him. "Maybe you should play this subtle until you thin out the odds a little."

"Dad, we have been doing this a while and…"

"And by the sounds of things you've forgotten that you're meant to be a ninja." Dane responded. Brody thought about it for a moment before letting out a sigh.

"I guess we don't have the firepower we used to." He commented. "Maybe it would be worth playing this quiet for a little while first."

"Definitely." Preston agreed. "Pairs?"

"Pairs." Brody agreed. "Levi, you're with me. Hayley, you and Calvin stick to the path. Sarah, Preston, you head to the right around that ridge. If you encounter anything, try and keep it quiet."

"Oh, I've so missed this!" Calvin said excitedly, pulling up his mask. "Last one to take down a kudabot buys the ice cream!"

In another area of the city, Trevor brought Laura back home after picking her up from the hospital. Getting into the living room, he helped her ease down onto the couch.

"Trevor, this really isn't necessary." She told him. "The doctors said I was fine."

"The doctors recommended that you rest up for at least a week." He corrected her. "That isn't the same as saying you're fine."

"I'm not made of glass you know, I can take care of myself." She reminded him. He just looked to her and smiled.

"I'm sure you can." He responded. "But I'd still be happier if there was someone here. I could always call Hayley and ask her to spend a little longer here or I could take some personal days…"

"Your personal days are YOUR time, don't waste them looking after me. Save them up so we can go on a proper holiday later." She told him. "And Aaron's been at sea for ages. He hasn't seen Hayley for a long time, I can't exactly ask him to give up his turn with her now he's back."

"I know, but it's just…"

"Trevor, it's just bruising! I'll be fine!" She put down bluntly in an almost irritated tone. "If you want to do something to take care of me, then you can bring something home for dinner."

"I think I can manage that." Trevor said with a little smile. "Any preferences?"

"It's been a while since I had crispy duck." She told him. Trevor just nodded.

"Your wish is my command." He told her. As he started to head outside, he paused for a second in the hallway, feeling Psycho Green stirring once again.

" _It's only a matter of time before she figures it out."_ Psycho Green told him. _"Grace Sterling will never rest until she brings us down!"_

"Hey, Trevor, we've got a call!" Spike said as he came into the hallway. "It's a domestic over at the college."

He noticed the spacey look on Trevor's face and started to become concerned.

"Hey, is everything OK?" He asked.

"Um…yeah, just…I think I might be getting a headache." Trevor told him. "There's only so much of Sterling someone can take."

"I guess." Spike answered, looking a little less than convinced. "So…maybe we should get this call?"

"Sure." Trevor said, nodding in agreement. "Sure, let's go."

Back in the mountains, the Rangers closed in on the asteroid's final location. Calvin dropped down on a kudabot from the trees, tearing its head off with a quick twist as he landed.

"Alright, that makes the score 12 for team Calley!" He stated.

"What's keeping you guys? We're up to 15!" Brody called through as he tore the power cell out of another kudabot while Levi dragged the body into some bushes. "How's team Sarton?"

"Um…I'm not so sure I like the idea of us using a portmanteau name." Preston said as he and Sarah dumped one behind a rock. "It sounds a little shippy."

"But we're up to 15 too." Sarah informed them.

"Alright, that makes 42, so we only have eight left." Brody answered as he got into position. "Hey, are you guys seeing this?"

"Woman in a robe and an elephant watching some Basherbots hit a big rock with pick axes?" Preston asked. "Just think, there was a time if I said that it would seem odd."

"They don't look too strong." Brody stated. "What do you say we remind them whose planet this is?"

Badonna was standing with the newest monster, a strange elephant-like creature as the Basherbots mined the asteroid. One of them brought him a chunk of material, which he sniffed, before tossing aside.

"That's not Super Ninja Steel, that's just worthless platinum!" He yelled at him. "Keep working you worthless tin cans, I can still smell at least another pound of Super Ninja Steel in that rock!"

Another Basherbot handed them a chunk, which he sniffed, before showing it to the other.

"THAT'S more like it!" You're looking for this!" He yelled, placing it into a case in Badonna's hands. "I'll give it another sniff to be sure but I think that's all of it!"

"Excellent! Now we have all the Super Ninja Steel." Badonna declared.

"Thanks for digging it out for us!" Brody called out. Badonna snapped the case shut, locking it and clutching it close defensively.

"Where did you come from?" She demanded in shock as she looked them up and down. "We had kudabots keeping guard…"

"Oh, you mean these guys?" Calvin asked, pulling out a kudabot's head, before dropping it and kicking it to where it came to rest by Badonna's feet. "Yeah, we met them. It was a brief meeting."

"Now, since all we're after is the Super Ninja Steel, how about we play nice and let you go home without a fight?" Hayley asked her. "You know, just because we're nice like that."

"Yeah, put the case down and walk away and no one needs to get hurt." Sarah told her. Badonna just started laughing.

"You insolent children!" She screamed as she cast out a power wave from her fan. The Rangers were all thrown several feet, landing hard on the ground some way off. "I was going to be nice and just take the Super Ninja Steel, but if you insist, I come through you to get it, then so be it!"

"Why can the bad guys never take the easy way?" Levi grumbled as they got to their feet.

"Alright, hard way it is." Brody replied. "NINJA SPIN!"


	18. Trunk Call

Trevor and Spike arrived at the college dorm blocks, and it didn't take them long to figure out where the disturbance was. There were a bunch of students standing outside, staring in at the block while loud bangs and crashes came from inside. Trevor looked up at the building.

"That doesn't sound good." Spike declared, before looking around the assembled students. "Which one of you is the Building Supervisor?"

"None of us! That useless piece of shit is probably in his office playing Warcraft!" One of the girls called out in a panic. "When he's wearing his headphones he can never hear anything! I'm the one that called you!"

"What's going on?" Spike asked.

"He came over and someone must have buzzed him in!" She told them. "Next thing we know it's like the opening salvo of World War 3!"

"He's up on the second floor." Another replied. "Room 2..."

"214." Trevor sighed. "God Damn it Betty, not again!"

"You know who...?"

"Let's just say it wouldn't be the first time I've been called out here." Trevor muttered. "Normally Gary's got the brains to be gone by the time we arrive though."

"You want to...?"

"No, you just stay here and get some statements, try and find out who buzzed him in." Trevor told him. "I'll deal with this."

"Are you sure that's a good idea?" Spike asked, suddenly thinking back to Trevor's reaction to Keith. He knew the guy was having a difficult time lately and he'd already seen him snap at Laura's office supervisor when he came to the house demanding files. "I can..."

"No, I've dealt with them both a few times before." Trevor answered. "I'll be fine."

With that, he headed up the stairs, punching in the code and opening the door. Sadly, he'd been here so many times he had memorised the code. As he went inside, he looked around; finding the desk empty, but the commotion was still going on.

" _Where is the Supervisor?"_ Psycho Green asked him. Trevor froze, this wasn't a good sign. He already knew that Psycho Green was trying to push back to the surface.

"Not now." He said, shaking his head as he made his way towards the stairs. It was the Building Supervisor's job to take care of any issues in the building and make sure everyone inside was safe. By all rights, it should have been him to make the call if he wasn't able to handle Gary by himself. He figured he could have that discussion later. Right now Betty's safety was the priority.

" _People like him never learn. They never listen to reason."_ Psycho Green told him. _"There's only one language they listen to."_

"Shut UP!" Trevor said as he started to run up the stairs.

Over at the site of the asteroid crash, the Rangers were finding themselves quickly being tested. This new monster, Badonna, clearly wasn't Odious, but they were finding out that definitely didn't mean she was to be taken lightly! Brody felt like his ribcage was about to cave in as she kicked him into the side of the mountain.

"You're the Rangers that Madame Odious keeps talking about?" She cackled. "I'm almost disappointed! Maybe I'll have more than just the Super Ninja Steel to return to her as a gift. The only question is, do I take your head with the helmet? Or do I empty it out first?"

"Guys, I could really use a hand here!" Brody spluttered. "This Badonna is no joke!"

"On our way!" Hayley called out as she cut down one of the Basher Bots.

"Count me in too!" Calvin added as he finished off his opponent. They both ran over, putting themselves between Brody and Badonna. "You want him you're going to have to go through us!"

"That was kind of the plan Yellow Ranger!" Badonna yelled as she ran for them, spinning around and slicing straight through both of them, sending all three of them flying. Calvin sighed.

"I've really got to stop saying stuff like that." He muttered. "The bad guys take it as more of a challenge than a threat."

"What I wouldn't give for another Power Star right about now!" Levi called out as he swung his Rockstorm Blaster for Smellephant.

"Hell, I'd even take an Element Star right now!" Preston agreed, smashing into Smellephant. "This guy's about to go down, but we're just not doing the damage!"

"Guys, we have to focus here, prioritise what's important!" She reminded them. "Preston, you're with me, Brody, you join Levi. Let's cut down the odds! No kill like overkill!"

"I think I like what you're thinking." Brody answered as he got up, staggering over towards his brother, while Preston and Sarah joined Calvin and Hayley in keeping Badonna busy. "Are you ready bro?"

"Hey, anything that'll help me forget this guy!" Levi answered. He saw the way Brody was staring at him. "Sorry, I couldn't resist!"

"Lion Fire Armour! POWER UP!" Brody called out as he spun the Power Star in his morpher. He ran at Smellephant, slicing into him. "How are you guys doing over there?"

"Not great!" Sarah admitted as she was blasted away. "Finish him quick!"

"Lion Fire Slash!" Brody yelled as he powered up his blade, bringing it down through Smellephant again and again while Levi ran at him, turning into a large, spinning star. He surged through the monster, while Brody brought down the final blow. Smellephant let out a huge scream, before sinking to his knees, then flopping face first to the ground and exploding. Brody turned his back to him.

"Show's over, Ninjas..."

"NOT YET!" Levi reminded him. Brody shook his head.

"Oh...yeah, right...force of habit!" He rushed out as he and Levi joined their friends. Badonna stood, facing them down as she held the case up for them to see.

"Nice job Rangers, I'm almost impressed." She told them. "Emphasis on the 'almost'. Now, I would love to stay and play some more, but my mistress is expecting..."

"NOW!" Sarah yelled. Badonna was caught unawares as Hayley and Calvin leapt on her from behind, grabbing her arms and pulling them back.

"What are you...?"

"Levi, go for the eyes!" Sarah yelled. Levi opened fire, targeting Badonna's face. It wasn't enough to do any significant damage, but it definitely blinded her for a while. Sarah leapt, diving and grabbing the case, rolling away from her.

"GIVE THAT BACK!" She screamed. Sarah just shook her head.

"Yeah, like asking nicely would work so well if the roles were reversed!" She called out. "Preston, get this out of here!"

"Etativel!" He said, waving the Dragon Wand and pointing at the case. With a flick of his arm, it flew from Sarah's hands and disappeared into the distance. Badonna's vision started to clear up just in time to watch it disappear over the horizon. "Mr Romero, Mick, heads' up! You're getting an express delivery!"

"NO!" Badonna screamed, watching the case soar out of view. She turned on the Rangers as they all assembled. "Curse you! If I can't get the Super Ninja Steel, I'll just have to destroy you now!"

"Yeah...about that, we're ninjas." Levi stated. "So...we're not necessarily the forlorn hope type."

"Yeah, we're more the 'let's all life' kind." Brody answered, producing a smoke bomb. "NINJA VANISH!"

With a flash and a loud bang, the area was filled with smoke. By the time the smoke cleared, the Rangers were gone, vanished without a trace. Badonna raised her head skyward and let out a huge scream.

Trevor got to the top of the stairs on the second floor. He could hear banging and almost knew exactly what he would find before he got there. Rounding the corner, he found Gary pounding on the door halfway down the hall.

Gary was a reasonably big kid. Not quite as big as Trevor, but he was quite tall, and he was pretty strong for his size, at least compared to Betty who was less than half his size. He had brown, spiky hair and ear rings running around the entire circumference of both ears. He was wearing some rather threadbare jeans and a school t-shirt. He was pounding on the door with his fists, intermittently slamming his shoulder into it in an attempt to force the door open. It seemed this time, Betty had managed to lock him out, when she realised he was there, but that only angered him further.

" _Look at him, preying on that girl."_ Psycho Green stated. _"You can show him what it feels like to be afraid. To show him what he does to others."_

"GARY!" Trevor called out, approaching him. Gary threw up his hands and yelled at the door.

"Oh great, you called the cops again!" He screamed. "BITCH!"

"HEY!" Trevor yelled at him, approaching him and interceding between him and the door. He stared down the younger man. "You're not meant to be here, you know that!"

"Says who?" Gary demanded.

"THE RESTRAINING ORDER YOU MORON!" Trevor yelled at him. "Now get your ass over to that corner before I haul you in for violating a court order!"

Gary stepped over to the corner, crossing his arms like a scolded schoolboy as Trevor knocked the door.

"Betty, its Trevor!" He told her. "Can you open the door?"

The door opened, and a young woman appeared. She was tiny in comparison to Trevor, perhaps only five feet in height, with soft brown hair. She was wearing a uniform from the nearby cafe, which suggested that Gary had either come just before she was due to go on shift or had followed her back.

"Look at me." Trevor told her. Betty looked up, at which Trevor saw that her lip had been split. Bile started to rise up from his gut seeing that.

" _He did this to her!"_ Psycho Green whispered. It didn't take a genius to figure that one out; Trevor had seen her a lot worse.

"What happened?" Trevor asked her.

"Oh, that's right ask her but don't ask me!" Gary snapped.

"Back it down Gary!" Trevor answered angrily, before looking back to her.

"I...I...was coming back from my shift and I found Gary waiting by my door." She told him. "He started saying something about an I-pod..."

"She still hasn't returned it!" He yelled. "I've looked everywhere; it HAS to be in her dorm!"

"Do you really think if I had it I wouldn't have just given it to you?" She called back. "Do you really think I want you coming back here?"

"So you don't have it?" Trevor asked. She just shook her head.

"I got into the dorm and shut the door before he could follow me in." She told Trevor. "He wouldn't leave no matter how many times I asked him to!"

"Right, you have your answer, it's not here." Trevor told him. Gary looked like he wanted to protest, but knew better than to do so considering the fact Trevor already had a legitimate reason to arrest him. Trevor looked to her one last time.

"Your lip." Trevor asked her. "Did he do that to you?"

"Oh come ON!" Gary yelled.

"SHUT IT!" Trevor interrupted him harshly, before looking back to her. Trevor saw the heartbreaking look in her eyes and knew what was coming. She shook her head.

"He didn't touch me." She lied. "Please, I don't...I don't want any trouble, I just want him to go!"

"Alright." Trevor sighed, gesturing her inside. Betty went inside and locked the door behind her. Trevor just glared at Gary. "Alright, let's go!"

"I'm not going anywhere..."

"I have a set of handcuffs and a badge that says different!" Trevor told him abruptly. "Now, I can cut you a break and let the restraining order slide...THIS TIME...or I can haul you out in cuffs! It's your choice!"

Gary just performed a Nazi salute, clicking his heels together for emphasis, before walking down the hall, all the while ranting about police abuse. Trevor had seen and heard worse, but as he watched him go, his head felt like it was splitting open. The voice of Psycho Green echoed much louder than before.

" _You're letting him go?"_ Psycho Green asked. _"How many times must he come back before you do something?"_

Trevor looked down the hall, seeing Gary dragging his heels, taking as long as possible to leave, testing his patience. The headache got progressively worse and he heard the voice again.

" _He'll come back again, you KNOW he will! His sort ALWAYS do!"_ Psycho Green told him. _"How long before you're coming back here with a coroner?_

Trevor could see Gary continuing to yell and kick the walls as he went towards the stairs. He knew the statistics, he knew that these things often escalated, but without Betty pressing charges, he couldn't do anything about the assault since he hadn't witnessed it. He could haul him in for violation of the restraining order but he still wasn't sure how he got in. If Betty hadn't told him the truth about him being there when she arrived, if the security footage showed her letting him in, it could come back on her.

" _She's only a little older than Hayley."_ Psycho Green reminded him. _"WHAT IF IT WAS HAYLEY?"_

That was the push that was needed. The last of his resolve fell away and he strode towards Gary, grabbing him and spinning him around to see him.

"You're such a big man aren't you? Splitting her lip like that!" Trevor snarled.

"Hey, you heard her, she said..."

He stared at Trevor in disbelief as his hand blurred across his face, slapping him hard, staggering him.

"Did you do it like that?" Trevor asked him. "Or maybe it was a back-hand...like THAT!"

Bringing the back of his hand across Gary's face, the kid hit the floor. He started scooting away from him on the floor, his eyes wide in fear before Trevor picked him up with one hand, lifting him completely in a dead-lift from the floor with one hand. His feet dangled above the floor as Trevor stared at him, his eyes turning a bright green.

"Or maybe it was a closed fist!" Trevor snarled. "LIKE THIS!"

Gary flew down the hall, at least fifteen feet or more before he hit the ground. He splurted up some blood before he could choke, and several of his teeth came with it. He stared up at Trevor.

"Hey...you've lost it man! You're a freaking PSYCHO!" Gary screamed. Trevor just smirked as he grabbed him off the floor once again.

"Oh...you have NO idea!" He told him.

Up on the Warrior Dome, Badonna arrived back, finding Odious waiting for her. She bowed her head in shame as she stood before her.

"My mistress, I am sorry..."

"Never mind that, I can discuss your failure later." Odious snapped at her. "Not many have sent the Rangers into a full retreat on their first try, so for that reason I'll keep you around but right now we need to press the advantage!"

She grabbed Cosmo by the scruff of the neck, thrusting him towards the stage.

"You know what to do!" She called out, kicking him up the backside and forcing him out. "Get on with it!"

"My, what a start to the new season am I right folks?" Cosmo said, regaining composure. "But his name is Smellephant, not Smallephant. Who wants to see more?"

The crowd let out a yell of approval.

"I didn't hear that, who wants to see more?" Cosmo called out again. This time the cheer was so loud the scale hit the top almost instantly. Cosmo danced over to the control console.

"Well, we never forget what you want!" Cosmo stated. "Pack your trunk; you're getting another bite at the cherry! GIGANTIFY!"

With that, he slammed his hand down on the button, activating the controls.

Back on the Romero Farm, Dane and Redbot were working hard to get the furnace up to temperature while Mick prepared some of the old moulds. The Rangers arrived back, breathless and fatigued, but still glad to have gotten out of their first fight back with something of a victory.

"Did you get it?" Brody asked, pulling off his helmet and looking to the Super Ninja Steel. "Is it...?"

"It's more powerful than we could have hoped! Weapons made from this will definitely give us the edge we need!" Mick assured them. "I've got all the old moulds, and we've got plenty of Super Ninja Steel. That asteroid had a HUGE payload! Like...the mother lode for sure!"

"So we can start replacing all the old power stars?" Calvin asked.

"We'll get to that as soon as we can." Redbot told them. "Unfortunately Super Ninja Steel, while similar, has a lot of different properties to Ninja Steel. It requires a much higher temperature to melt it."

"So how long before...?"

"Not long enough by the looks of things!" Dane replied as the alarm went off. The Rangers all gathered around the monitors, seeing Smellephant heading back towards the city. Sarah sighed.

"Oh great, that's EXACTLY what we need!" She grumbled. "What are we meant to do?"

"Find the world's largest bag of peanuts?" Calvin suggested.

"There's not much option." He said, pulling out the Lion Fire Zord Star. "We only do have one working Zord."

"Is that going to be enough?" Hayley asked.

"It's going to have to be." Brody replied. "For now at least."

"We'll send out more firepower as soon as it's ready." Dane assured him. "Stay safe son."

"Kick his ass bro!" Levi added.

"I'll try." Brody replied as he headed out of the door.

Back at the college, Spike was with the students outside the dorms, taking statements as they clamoured around. He put up his hands defensively as questions started being thrown at him.

"Have patience, we'll have this all resolved as soon as possible!" Spike assured them.

"Are you kidding? That nutcase sounded like he was trying to knock the building down!" One of the students stated. "Maybe if you cops actually did something about him..."

"I'm telling you, you need to remain calm, my colleague is resolving this as we speak!" Spike said, trying to calm them down. "Now, if you'll all remain calm I'm sure this will all be over very..."

Just then, there was a crash of breaking glass and they all turned in time to see Gary flying through one of the ground floor windows. He landed on the ground a little way from them in a bloody heap. Trevor stepped out of the door, dusting his hands off as he went. Spike could only watch as he casually got into the patrol car and sat down, while several of the students all started to look at Gary, some of them utterly silent while several of them started to cheer. Spike though was already pulling out his cell phone.

"Hi, this is Officer Skullovitch, I'm going to need an ambulance at the residential block of Summer Cove College!" Spike rushed out. "Um...somehow...I don't think you'll have much trouble finding exactly where!"


	19. D-List Victory

A news van sped down a road, only a little way ahead of the massive strides of Smellephant. Weaving in and out of the cars that many had abandoned on the road to flee for their lives, it had been some time since the citizens of Summer Cove had seen the Rangers or any monsters, but sure enough, here they were once again watching as something the size of a battleship lumbered towards the city from the mountains.

"Once again, what you're seeing is LIVE! We are risking life and limb to get you exclusive footage of...Mike, would you PLEASE try to hold this thing steady?" The reporter said, starting into the camera that she was holding, trying to get a report out. "It has now been over a month, just short of two months since we've seen a monster and many of us believed that we were now once again safe, but as you can see..."

She shifted the camera out of the back window in time to catch sight of Smellephant kicking cars out the way. One tumbled over and over, narrowly missing the van as it slammed into the central barrier of the freeway.

"That is far from the case!" She continued. "Now we're just left with one question. With their public promise to return if we were in need, WHERE are the Power Rangers?"

"Nattie, you might want to wrap this up!" The driver called out. "That thing is getting mighty close!"

"Hey, you'll be happy when we get a Pulitzer..."

"NOT IF IT'S POSTHUMOUS!" He screamed. Smellephant was almost on top of them when a blast hit him square in the chest, staggering him. The Lion Fire Ship flew overhead, peppering him with shots, giving the van some much needed room to escape. Brody brought the ship around for another run, avoiding a mist attack it launched his way.

"I have no idea what that stuff is and I'm not in any hurry to find out!" Brody said as he swerved around the cloud. "How's the Super Ninja Steel coming?"

"We don't have anything yet!" Dane called out. "Son, keep your mind on what you're doing. Presume the help isn't coming and make do with what you have."

"Are you kidding? That last salvo just pissed him off!" Brody protested.

"And one of the greatest Samurai in history won over 500 personal duels fighting most of them with a wooden sword!" Dane reminded him. "Son, you have all the skills you need. Use his strength and confidence against him. Look for weaknesses and take him down when you can!"

"Mick, are you sure we can't go any faster?" Sarah asked. He shook his head.

"I'm afraid not. I've never worked with Super Ninja Steel before. Since I'm not familiar with its properties I have to be extremely careful to ensure I don't make the slightest mistake!" He explained. "Even if I pour the first moulds now I can't cool them too fast or I risk making them too brittle, then I have to put them through the Nexus Prism..."

"OK, we get the point." Sarah sighed, before returning to her friends watching on the monitors. Preston looked to her, seeing the sad look on her face.

"You OK?" He asked.

"It's just...it's been a long time since I've been in this position." She told him. "When I was with the Amber Beach team, I wasn't a Ranger so I had to watch from the sidelines. It was..."

"Hey, I'm only doing this now and I feel how hard it is not to go running off to help." Preston told her. "I can't imagine what it was like doing that dozens of times."

"Take it from someone that knows." Sarah told him. "It doesn't get any easier with time."

In another area of the city, Spike brought the patrol car back to the precinct. After waiting for the ambulance to ensure Gary got to the hospital, he figured it was best not to take too many more chances out on the streets. He had known that Trevor was going through a tough time and he had suspected he was close to the edge, but even he couldn't have imagined Trevor would be capable of what he saw.

As he got out of the car, heading for the office, Trevor came up behind him and grabbed him, spinning him around.

"What the hell do you think you're doing Skullovitch?" He asked him.

"What does it look like?" Spike asked him, showing him the car keys. "I'm benching us!"

"You're benching us?" Trevor replied. "You're a PROBIE! I'm meant to tell YOU what to do!"

"Believe me, if I thought you were in any fit state to be out on the street I'd be only too happy to be out there." Spike told him.

"Then we should go." Trevor told him.

"Are you serious right now?" Spike asked him. "You beat a kid half to death and threw him out a window!"

"That kid has put Betty in the hospital..."

"YOU DIDN'T EVEN OPEN THE WINDOW FIRST!" Spike yelled at him. "I don't even know how you managed that! It was safety glass!"

"Give me the keys Spike." Trevor warned him.

"Or what? You'll beat me up too?" Spike asked him. "I'm doing this for your own good Trevor! I know what happened to Laura is putting pressure on you but if you keep this up you'll be lucky if..."

"I said give me the KEYS!" Trevor snarled, throwing a punch Spike's way. Spike though had the wherewithal to do something about it. His training under Serena back in Panorama left him with pretty good reflexes. Trevor found his punch deflected and stumbling past Spike. Spike just stared at him.

"I don't want to do this Trevor." Spike told him. "But if you do, know I won't be as easy as some college kid!"

Trevor started to square up to Spike, but before either of them could move, someone ran down in between them.

"Marx!" The other officer called out. "Captain Raymond wants you in his office like...yesterday!"

Trevor just looked between the other officer and Spike, before heading off into the station. Spike breathed a sigh of relief.

"Did I interrupt something?" He asked.

"Nothing good." Spike answered, tossing the keys up and snatching them out the air. "I'll just go sign these in."

Back at the site of the battle, Brody strafed past Smellephant, peppering him with more shots, before landing the ship and skidding it around, turning to face him. Converting to Megazord configuration, he faced off against Smellephant.

"Guys, I could really do with some good news!" Brody told them as he closed in, swinging his weapons. Smellephant blocked one, taking the other hit hard, but looking at the injury, it was clear that even the Lion Fire Megazord, one of their most powerful weapons, was barely managing to harm him.

"I'm afraid we're still not any closer." Mick relayed as he checked on the furnace.

"Try the Lion Fire Star Strike!" Preston called out. Brody brought the weapons together, uniting them and starting them spinning.

"It's worth a shot." He told him. As the spinning stars flew into Smellephant, he could smell burning and he could see sparks flying, but instead of falling, Smellephant actually seemed to be pushed back, digging his heels in and churning up the ground and gripping the spinning weapon, trying to catch it. Brody could see smoke rising from him as he raised the weapon over his head and threw it straight back, slamming it into the Megazord.

"Oh SHIT!" He screamed. "Um...that's...that's not good!"

"You brought the heat, how about I cool things off a little?" Smellephant asked, firing a blast from his trunk. Brody tried to avoid it, but it just caught one of the Megazord's legs, freezing it solid. He had to struggle to stay up as the leg locked up, unable to move.

"Guys, I could really use some ideas here!" He called through the communicator as he guarded against Smellephant's attacks.

"Man, what can we do? We don't have anything to throw at him!" Calvin complained.

"The Zord's repair system is working on getting the leg back, but it'll take some time." Hayley told them.

"I think Brody's zord might just have enough left if only he could get that leg back and create an opening." Preston added. Sarah thought about it for a moment.

"Brody, I've got an idea." Sarah told him.

"I'm all ears." He told her.

"Uh...probably best I don't explain." Sarah told him as she grabbed some paper and started scribbling, sketching something down and making some calculations. "Trust me, saying it out loud will make it sound even crazier than it sounds in my head."

"What do you want me to do Sarah?" He asked.

"Get Smellephant to blast you with that freeze blast again!" She told him. Everyone stared at her.

"You want me to do WHAT?" Brody asked her.

"You heard me!" She answered. Brody just let out a deep breath.

"I really hope you know what you're doing." He responded as he ducked away from one of Smellephant's blasts. "Hey, even with one leg you can't hit me!"

"Maybe you're right; maybe what I need is a stationery target!" Smellephant yelled. "Freeze Ray!"

"Brody, activate the Ultrazord Command!" Sarah told him.

"WHAT?" He screamed. "But we don't have any other..."

"JUST DO IT!" She interrupted him. Brody activated the command, which caused the top half of the Lion Fire Megazord to spin around. The blast hit the alcove designed for the Megazord to sit in, but as it did, it deflected around the inside, before coming back at Smellephant, hitting him full on, freezing him with his own attack.

"Ultrazord transformation failed." The computer told Brody as the Lion Fire Megazord turned back around. Brody could see Smellephant standing, frozen to the spot.

"Sarah, that was awesome!" Hayley called out.

"Just a good use for geometry!" She said proudly.

"So you knew that was going to work?" Levi asked her.

"Of COURSE I did!" She said, before seeing the way everyone was looking at her. "Um...OK, maybe more like about...50 percent?" They still didn't look convinced. "OK, probably closer to five."

"It's good enough for me!" Brody replied, converting into tank mode. He positioned himself on top as it rolled towards Smellephant. "Lion Fire Slash...FINAL ATTACK!"

In a massive fireball, Smellephant fell, exploding for the final time. Brody slumped back onto the top of the Megazord.

"Oh...man that was hard work!" He commented. "Show's over...Ninjas Win...I guess."

"Well I hope you're not too tired to get out of there." Mick told him. "I just got an alert on the police frequency and there are units heading your way. If I were you I wouldn't wait to find out if they're the friendly kind or the 'let's shoot at Rangers' kind."

"Probably a good idea." Brody said wearily as he climbed inside. "Lion Fire Ship...autopilot. Take me home."

Over at Summer Cove Police Station, Trevor went into Captain Raymond's office, finding him sitting at his desk. He stood to attention before him, waiting on whatever he had to say.

"You wanted to see me?" Trevor asked him.

"Really, that's all you have to say?" Captain Raymond asked him. "Would you like to hazard a guess as to why you're here?"

"I'm guessing it has something to do with Gary..."

"Oh, it has just a little to do with him." Captain Raymond snapped at him. "Do you know how many calls I've had about what happened?"

Trevor just shrugged.

"No, I'm serious, go ahead and have a guess." He asked him.

"One from the hospital?" Trevor asked.

"Oh, I got a call from the hospital alright. They wanted to know when I started sanctioning a whole riot unit for a domestic abuse call!" Captain Raymond continued. "That was the only explanation they could think of for the state they got that kid in."

"That 'kid' is an abusive piece of shit that's put Betty in the hospital about half a dozen times!" Trevor protested.

"You think I don't know that?" Captain Raymond demanded. "Do you really think I haven't seen some scumbags that I knew could probably do with a taste of their own medicine? I came up in the force during the 'good old days' where we had rooms without cameras. Do you think I didn't want to take some of those vermin in there and give them a going over with a phone book?"

"That kid has no respect for the law. He was in violation of a restraining order and didn't even care!" Trevor told him.

"And as a police officer you have to LEAD BY EXAMPLE!" Captain Raymond yelled at him at the top of his lungs. "I understand you have problems at home, and believe me, that is the ONLY reason I have any sympathy for you right now. My department and my officers must be beyond reproach. Now I have a kid in hospital who is missing half his teeth who'll probably be in there for the next few weeks on the department's tab and I've got lawyers swarming around like flies around a turd waiting to see if there's a lawsuit to be had!"

"So he's not pressed charges?" Trevor asked.

"He'd need to be CONSCIOUS to press charges!" Captain Raymond told him. "I'm afraid I have no option but to jump before I'm pushed Marx. I'm putting this whole thing before a review board. In the meantime you're on administrative leave."

"I'm what?" Trevor asked him.

"Let me make it simpler for you! Leave your badge and your gun on my desk and get out of my sight!" He told him. "If you're lucky, maybe one day you'll see them again."

Trevor pulled off his badge and took out his gun, laying them on the desk. Captain Raymond put a hand on his shoulder.

"Believe me; I'm doing this for your sake." He told him. "Go home and look after Laura. You'll be contacted when you're needed for the review."

Trevor was livid, but he had known Captain Raymond a long time. He was a friend almost as much as a boss, and between that and his altercation with Spike, he was starting to see that maybe those closest to him were really trying to help him. His anger just seemed to fuel Psycho Green, giving him the opportunity to take control. Maybe some time at home with the woman he loved would do him just as much good as it did her.

Nodding his head, he turned and left the office.

Back at the Ranger Base on the Romero Farm, Brody was sitting back, holding an ice pack to his neck.

"I'm telling you guys, if that Smellephant is what they consider d-list now, I don't even want to know what they consider c-list, never mind a-list."

"Hey, a victory by the skin of your teeth is still a victory." Dane told them sagely. "You should all be really proud of yourselves. You didn't have all the fancy toys but you still came through with your own skills."

"Well, just because we don't NEED toys doesn't mean to say it's not nice to have a few." Hayley answered. "How are those first Power Stars coming Redbot?"

"They should be ready any moment..."

"WHOA!" Sarah called out as five Power Stars fired out, causing them all to duck. Mick caught one of them, while the others either lodged in the walls or bounced and fell to the floor.

"Alright, just to make sure we've got the new forging process down; I've started with something simple, namely re-forging what we already had from old moulds." Mick told them. "To that end, the first thing I did was...your Ninja Power Stars."

"But...we still have our Ninja Power Stars." Sarah reminded him, showing him hers. He just smiled.

"Why don't you just give this a little try?" He asked her. Sarah took her new Ninja Power Star and placed it into her morpher with a shrug.

"Ninja SPIN!" She called out. In a flash of light, she appeared in her Ranger mode.

"Uh...I'm not the only one who doesn't notice anything different right?" Calvin asked.

"You might not but I sure as hell do!" Sarah squealed enthusiastically. "This feels awesome!"

"The power for your suits and your weapons came from the Ninja Steel." Mick explained. "The Power Stars were the power source, so using the Super Ninja Steel should give your powers a little extra..."

Sarah brought down her hand, smashing through an anvil, shattering it into pieces. The team all just stared at her, while Dane just blinked.

"...kick." Mick concluded.

"You know that WAS mine." Dane said, looking at Sarah. She de-morphed, looking a little sheepish.

"Oh...um...yeah, sorry I just got carried away and..." She stammered. "...I'll get you a new one, I promise."

"You bet you will!" Dane replied. "And you're all coming here for training after school from now on."

"Here?" Calvin asked. Dane just smiled.

"Of course? Where better to train than somewhere you have access to a real-life ninja?" He asked him. "Mick and I don't have moulds for our Power Stars, so it looks like it really is one and done for us, but with him manning the computers, me taking care of the training and the three of us working on the weapons, we should be up to speed in no time!"

"Which is just as well because you all have school tomorrow." Levi reminded them. They all groaned as they headed for the trucks to head for home. Calvin put his arm around Hayley.

"So, are we going to your mom's place?" He asked. Hayley just shook her head.

"Trevor said he'd call if I'm needed, and I'll be around at the weekend." Hayley told him.

"Your dad's it is." Calvin answered as he went to the driver's side.

Over at the Marx house, Trevor arrived home, closing the door behind him.

"Trevor, is that you?" Laura called through. Trevor went into the Living Room, finding his wife sitting on the couch. "Is everything alright? I wasn't expecting you for ages."

"Well, I..." Trevor started to say, before stopping himself. Laura had already been in a car crash; the last thing she needed to hear now was that his career hung in the balance. Sure, he'd known guys that got away with a lot worse than what he'd done, but these things weren't certain. It would also mean he'd have to explain how he had hospitalised a college kid. "...I just...couldn't wait to be with the most beautiful woman I've ever seen."

"The most beautiful woman who looks like she's just been through a blender maybe." She chuckled. "It's sweet, but you don't have to..."

"I don't have to, but I want to." Trevor said, looking to her. "Which is why I've arranged some personal time."

"Trevor, you shouldn't have." She told him. "It's our anniversary soon, we were going to..."

"I know, a holiday would have been great, but I want to be there for you." He told her, kissing her softly. "Which is why for the foreseeable future, I'm going to be right here. Anything you need, just ask for it."

"How about another one of those?" She asked him.

"As you wish." He answered, drawing in and kissing her again, before holding her tightly in his arms. He could feel Psycho Green stirring in him, fighting to get out, but here in the arms of the woman he loved, Psycho Green wasn't going anywhere. Maybe the captain and Spike were right. Maybe this was where he needed to be all along.


	20. Good To Be Back

Calvin stopped off outside an apartment block after dropping each of his friends at their homes in turn. It wasn't far from the school, just one of the conditions on the joint custody agreement Aaron and Laura had reached in the divorce was that if Hayley was to stay with him, he had to have a residence within the school district. Given his love of the ocean and everything to do with it, if he could, he'd probably live on a boat in the harbour, but that was just outside the district and so he rented an apartment in the city, something that was just within his means after he spent virtually every penny he had on his work and his research. It wasn't exactly a slum, but it was the kind of place people tended to move out of the minute they got a "real job" after college and started earning "real money."

"Well, here we are." Calvin said, looking to his girlfriend. "Do you want a hand getting your stuff upstairs?"

"I should be fine." Hayley answered, pulling her backpack out of the back. The only real advantage in getting into combat the moment they returned from Zandar was that she hadn't yet unpacked and so everything was still in her cases in the back. "It is only three flights of stairs."

"Are you sure you don't want me to help you up?" Calvin asked her.

"It's sweet of you to offer but I really just want to get up to the apartment and get a nice hot shower and a good nights' sleep." She told him. "I loved seeing Zandar, but arranging our return for the day before we go back to school was a terrible idea!"

"I know what you mean." Calvin answered as they got out and Hayley removed her case from the back. He kissed her softly.

"Do you want me to pick you up tomorrow morning?" He asked her. Hayley shook her head.

"It's alright, the school's only a couple of blocks from here." She reminded him. "I'll see you tomorrow OK?"

With that, Calvin got back into Nitro and headed for home. Hayley punched in the code and opened the door, making her way up the stairs to the third floor. The anonymous halls were just the same, no real identifying marks or personal style as befitted the rotational nature of the majority of the residents. Hayley was confident that she probably wouldn't recognise more than half of her father's neighbours now. As she got to his door, she pulled out her key, letting herself in.

"Hey dad, I'm home!" She called out. She heard a bit of a shuffling in the background, before her dad's head rounded one of the doorways. He had a kind, round face and a bald head, what little hair he did have shaved in more out of convenience than anything else. It made caring for it a non-issue while he was at sea. He had thick glasses.

"Hayley, you're…you're here!" He rushed out as he saw her. "Um…I wasn't expecting…wasn't your flight due later?"

"Slight change of plans. We ended up leaving Zandar a little early." Hayley answered as she put her case aside. She sniffed the air. "Is that…is that your tomato and basil pasta?"

"Yes, I knew you loved it." He said as he grabbed some things and started to move them around frantically. It was something of a ritual of his whenever she came around. Aaron tended to treat everywhere, his entire office, his classroom, even his home as a work space. It did look like chaos, as though a hurricane had hit a filing cabinet but as inscrutable as his system appeared to be, he always seemed to be able to find exactly what he was looking for. Of course, it did mean he'd sometimes need to clear a seat on a couch when someone else planned on living there. "Come through, help yourself!"

Hayley made her way to the kitchen, leaving her dad to keep clearing up. She went to the kitchen finding the pot on the stove top. She got a bowl out of the cupboard and lifted some pasta for herself.

"So how was Zandar?" Her dad asked from the hall. "Was it nice?"

"It was beautiful." Hayley told him.

"And the wedding?" He asked her.

"Yeah, it was eventful." She answered. It wasn't as though her dad was deliberately ignorant of world events beyond the ocean, but she didn't think telling him about the attack would be a great way to kick off their reunion if he didn't already know. She heard the front door close. "What was that?"

"Oh…um…the door return's just acting up a little." He told her. "It just takes a little while for the door to close properly these days."

"Oh, OK then." She replied as she headed through to the Living Room. She saw a bowl on the table, along with a candle and a bottle of wine. "Well, I see you're dining in style at least."

"Oh, I just thought I'd treat myself a little. My latest data sets are really neat!" He said excitedly. "I'm planning to publish my journal in the next issue of…"

"Yeah, that's great dad." Hayley answered as she sat down. Her dad sat with her, and slid across a dish of parmesan. She took some, sprinkling it on her pasta.

"So, are you looking forward to going back to school?" He asked her. She just nodded.

"I'm sure it'll be great dad." She sighed. Same old, same old."

"Well, don't let things get TOO regular." He told her. "I mean, it's worth changing up the routine once in a while and…"

"You know what? I'm a little tired." She answered, picking up her bowl. She didn't really feel much like being lectured about routine by the guy whose life seemed to have hardly changed in any way in the last decade. "I think I might finish this in my room and go straight to bed."

"Sure thing sweetheart." He replied. As she was heading out, she heard a crunch underfoot. Looking down, she kicked aside some newspapers and saw a broken wine glass.

"Oh…I was um…wondering where I put that." He stammered. "You know what? It's alright, I'll clean that up."

"OK." Hayley replied. "Good night dad."

"Good night sweetheart." He answered as she went to her room.

Up on the Warrior Dome ship, Wrench came into Cosmo's office, closing the door behind him and activating the scramblers. Cosmo was sitting at his desk with a cigar.

"So, were you followed?" He asked.

"Absolutely not." Wrench giggled childishly. "Odious is having way too much fun yelling at Badoni. She's FURIOUS about her losing the Super Ninja Steel!"

"Perfect!" Cosmo replied. "Which means of course it'll be down to us to look at all the most recent applicants for Galaxy Warriors!"

"I'm guessing it's not going to be a long search." Wrench surmised.

"Oh, believe me, it's not." Cosmo told him. "It's really easy to make sure our guys are getting picked when we're the ones going through the applicants."

"So, who do you have in mind?"

"Well, unfortunately some of the really heavy-hitters are still going to take a while to convince." Cosmo told him. "But I think this one should really shake things up for the team."

He handed Wrench a tablet, at which he inspected the recording. He looked up to him and nodded.

"Interesting." Wrench commented. "Has Lord Dracon…?"

"Oh, he's been pretty quiet. He's letting us handle things here for the time being." Cosmo answered. "Meanwhile his other agent is already working on the other part of things as we speak."

"OTHER agent?" Wrench asked.

A long way from Summer Cove, over in Reef side, Dr Tommy Oliver was just heading back to his home after another long day.

It didn't look like much had changed for him, but in a lot of ways that was the way he liked things. It was something of a happy accident when he first came to Reef side and took a teaching job all the way back in 2004. He'd only gone there because he was tracking the movements of Messaging and knew he had to find a way to keep his activities under wraps, but over time, he found that teaching was something he really loved. As much as it always drove him crazy when Cassidy would try to turn every class into an interview or he'd find Kira writing song lyrics when she was meant to be taking science notes or confiscating Conner's soccer ball, he absolutely loved watching the kids growing and becoming young adults. By the time his tenure with the Dino Thunder team was over, as much as he'd loved being a palaeontologist, he didn't think twice about staying.

Fate had been kind to him in a number of ways. Not only had a job he had a passion for just dropped into his lap, a couple of years after he started at Reef side High, another thing that he hadn't realised he had been missing had come to him in the form of a former fighter pilot turned physical education teacher named Sandra. What had stared with some harmless flirtation as they exchanged workout tips and ended with them getting married and having a son together, Jason Jarvis Oliver, known as JJ for short.

As he pulled into the driveway, getting his gym bag out of the back of his truck, he approached the house, seeing a bike lying across the porch. He just rolled his eyes as he saw it, picking it up.

"JJ, I thought I told you not to leave your bike out!" Tommy stated. That was when he noticed something a little odd. The handle and brake lever that were on the ground were covered in mud, like JJ had thrown or dropped the bike in a hurry. JJ was never that careless with his bike. He'd loved BMX ever since his Uncle Jason had bought it for him. Even though he would sometimes leave it lying out he'd never just drop it or throw it down, he was always very careful about maintaining it and the settings. Putting the bike back down, Tommy approached the front door, and noticed it swinging open slightly. He opened it silently, heading inside quietly.

"Sandra? JJ?" He called out, getting no answer as he looked around. It didn't take long for him to find more things out of the ordinary. There was no sound, no television, no voices, nothing! His house was never that quiet! Shortly afterwards he found overturned furniture, scattered ornaments and…worst of all, blood! Clear signs of a struggle. He bent down as he noticed some green liquid on the ground. Dipping his fingers into it, he rubbed it between his fingertips and inspected it.

"Viviks?" He asked out loud, before he heard something outside. He ran out, finding a huge, hulking creature standing before him.

"Sledge!" He snarled, seeing the alien bounty hunter standing before him.

"Ah, I see my reputation precedes me." He responded.

"More like your legacy." Tommy scoffed. "Since you clearly know who I am you should know I'm a Ranger Historian. I'm all about Ranger HISTORY. I thought the Dino Charge team turned you to ash ages ago!"

"I got better!" Sledge replied. Tommy reached behind his back, but Sledge snatched up his blaster, pointing it straight at him. "Easy! As much as fighting the 'Ranger Legend' would be fun I'm sure, I think you might want to think twice before going for that morpher!"

He waved his hand, at which an image appeared in the air. It showed Poisandra up on Sledge's new ship.

"Yoo hoo, is it time yet Sledgeums?" She asked.

"Yes, my precious poisey poo!" Sledge answered. Tommy just sighed.

"God, and my friends thought me and Kim could be sickening." Tommy commented. "Would you mind getting to the point before I lose my lunch?"

"Would you like to show him my sweet?" Sledge asked her.

"Whatever you say Sledgeums!" She replied, moving aside. "Now, I don't know how familiar you are with space ships…"

"I've been on a few." Tommy interrupted her. She just stomped impatiently.

"RUDE!" She whined. "Anyway, this is an air-lock, and right here inside…"

She brought the image up to the window. Tommy's heart froze as he saw Sandra and JJ inside.

"This is your wife and your little brat IN an air-lock!" She told him. "At least…for now, until I press this little button right here and send them on a little space walk without space suits!"

"JJ! SANDRA!" Tommy screamed. "Let them go you monster!"

"Oh, that's a really unfortunate choice of words!" Poisandra told him. "Should I?"

"Not yet my sweet!" Sledge told her. He looked to Tommy and extended his empty hand. "Hand over the morpher and come with me or your family become blocks of ice drifting in space for all eternity!"

"Tommy, don't!" Sandra called out. "He'll do it anyway!"

"It's your choice!" Sledge told him. "Poisey? On the count of ten, press the button! Ten! Nine…"

"WAIT!" Tommy called out. "If…If I do this, do I have your word that they'll be safe?"

"You're not in any position to bargain!" Sledge told him. "EIGHT!"

"Kendall always said if nothing else you were a man of your word!" Tommy told him. "If I think there's a chance you'll do it, I may as well morph and take my chances! If you tell me right now they'll be safe…I'll go with you."

"Fine." Sledge said, almost sounding disappointed.

"But Sledgeums!" Poisandra whined. "I wanted to dump them into space!"

"I gave my word!" Sledge put down firmly. He beckoned Tommy with his hand. "Now I just have to see what your word is worth."

Tommy carefully unclipped his morpher, before throwing it to Sledge.

"Thanks!" Sledge said, before firing his blaster. Tommy fell to the ground unconscious. Sledge went over, grabbing Tommy and picking him up as he pulled out a communicator.

"Draven?" He asked. "Yes, it's Sledge. I've acquired the first!"

He carried Tommy into the trees, before dumping him into a transport pod. He tapped a few keys, programming it, at which it closed and blasted off back towards his ship.

"No, it was no trouble at all." Sledge told him. "I'll bring him in right away."

With that, he fired up his jet pack and blasted off, heading back to his ship.

The following morning, Summer Cove High was officially open once again, and the kids were coming in with varying degrees of enthusiasm. The Rangers walked in, smiling brightly and positively bouncing.

"You know, after that 'holiday', I think I'm actually glad to be back at school." Brody commented, making the air quotes with his fingers.

"Yeah, you never really know how much you're going to miss this place until you have to fight of an inter-dimensional invasion." Preston agreed.

"Wow, they fixed this place up really good." Calvin stated. "It's like it hasn't changed at all!"

"Well, there have been one or two changes." Mick told them, coming over, carrying Dane's old Martial Arts trophy. "For one thing we actually have the paint room back. For another…well…let's just say I have a little more living space."

"You're still living here?" Brody asked. "I thought you'd be moving in with us!"

"Oh, I'll still be spending plenty of time there helping your dad and Redbot with all the weapons." Mick assured them. "But I figured that now you and your dad have the farm up and running again, it'll be better for everyone if you have a little space for…you know…family stuff."

"Mick, you're our family too." Brody reminded him.

"I know but…there comes a time everyone should move on." Mick answered. "Anyway, I have a class to teach soon so, I'll just be going!"

As he left, a piece of paper fluttered out of his pocket. Sarah picked it up, trying to chase after him.

"Mick! You dropped this!" She called after him, but he was already too far ahead. She looked to the paper. "Huh, that's strange. It's a receipt for a take-away."

"And?" Calvin asked with a shrug of the shoulders.

"It's dated three days ago!" Sarah told them. "Mick's been back for at least three days!"

"Well, why didn't he come find us earlier?" Hayley asked. That was when they noticed him stopping by Principal Hastings, talking with her briefly, before taking her hand and following her into the office. They all looked to each other and smiled.

"Booty call!" They chorused together.

"Well, I guess it's inevitable some things change." Hayley answered.

"AAAND some things never will." Preston said as he pointed over to where Victor and Monty were coming in. They were wearing aloha shirts and jean shorts, and both of them were well-tanned. Victor went straight to the trophy case, beginning to count his trophies and keep track of his record.

"They dressed like that on purpose?" Brody asked.

"Yeah, I heard after the news stories died down a bit some cruise ship company hired them to be an attraction." Sarah told them. "They got paid to spend all day telling people the stories of their heroics."

"I still say it sucks that they get the credit and we don't." Calvin answered. "Still, I guess if everyone knew about us, we'd be doing a pretty sucky job of being ninjas."

"You know what though? Something just feels right about all of this doesn't it?" Sarah asked them. "Despite everything, it kind of feels good to be back."

"You know what? It actually kind of does!" Brody agreed. "And now that we've got the Super Ninja Steel, Odious, Psycho Green and Drakkon won't know what hit them!"

Just then, a huge laugh went up from a crowd of students. Victor started flailing around as he tried desperately to beckon them all back.

"No, no, don't listen to…that's not what happened…COME BACK!" He called out. The team all started laughing.

"Yup, it's good to be back."

FIN

 **A/N:** Well, there it is folks, a little bridging story to cover the gap between the two seasons. Hope you liked it. No need to worry, a new story will be starting very soon.


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